Beautiful Surprise
by Just delightful
Summary: PRO Jaggie/ Maggie Pierce. This story is a continuation from episode 14x16. Constructive and positive reviews please. If you are not a fan of Jaggie please keep it moving.
1. Is it really over

Is it really over

(Hello everyone. Just wanted to let you know that this is a Jaggie Fanfic. This first chapter is difficult to read if you are hardcore Jaggie but, please give it a chance because it does get better. Comments are welcomed and please leave your feedback positive and constructive please. Thanks.)

She whispered softly into his ear "the longer we wait to eat, the hungrier you'll be," and as she pulled away he leaned into her grabbing her lips with his. It was so soft and sweet and he loved the feel of their lips pressed against each other. The connection was there. She was into him and he was into her. He wanted to stay in the moment with Maggie but he couldn't. He was so confused. All he could think about was what happened with April in the storage room. Even though he pushed her away he felt something. What was it?

That night he laid in bed, thinking about what happened with April. She looked so depressed and not the girl he once knew. It seemed like she was lost. Thoughts about their relationship went through his mind. Did he really give her a chance? Did he really think things through before filing for the divorce? Did he do it out of anger? What would life be like if we were able to work things out, now that we are in a better place? He thought about Harriet and the life she could have if they were able to work things out.

As he drifted off to sleep, he heard his phone ring. He wondered who would be calling him at this hour. He turned to check his phone and April Kepner popped up on the screen.

"Hello, are you okay?" in a panicked voice.

With a soft voice she said, "I am outside your door can you let me in. We need to talk."

When he opened the door, April was standing there with tears in her eyes looking defeated. He invited her in and went to the kitchen to grab her some water and tissue. He then sat across from her on the sofa. Wiping the tears away April explained...

"Jackson, I'm so sorry for what happened in the storage room. I am in such a bad place and I just don't know what to do. In the past when I felt this way I had you to talk to. Now I feel like I don't have you. I feel lost without you."

Jackson looked at April and said, "What do you mean you don't have me? I am here for you April."

"I don't think you understand Jackson. I don't have you. Game night was so difficult for me. Seeing you interact with Priya, holding her hand and her in your space. I miss that. I miss you."

Jackson moved closer to April and said, "I keep thinking about what happened today and a lot of things came up. One of the questions that keep coming up is did I really give our marriage a chance."

April expressed, "I love you Jackson and one of the hardest things for me was losing you and I want to try again." She moved closer to him and whispered, "Can we try again?" and kissed him. Jackson did not move away and leaned into the kiss. April then got up and said, "Think about it and I will see you at work tomorrow. We can have lunch and talk about it then." She said goodbye and left.

"Damn it." Jackson sat back and thought about Maggie. I had to fight with my mother to get her to understand how much I cared for her. I also got Richard's approval. I am so confused… "Damn it."

April did not know about Maggie. Yes she knew they had feelings for each other but didn't know they acted on them. "I need to talk to Maggie. Things are new with her so if I end things now, she will understand. At least I hope she will understand. I really need to think about Harriet and how happy she will be in a home with both her parents. Something I never had. I think that I should really try for Harriet.

He continued to think about it all night and did not get much sleep.

...

The next day he saw Maggie walking into the hospital.

"Hey." Jackson said walking toward her.

Maggie turned around and smiled and kissed him on the cheek.,"Hi, Jackson."

"Can we talk." He said as he put his arms around her shoulders.

"Sure, is everything okay."

As they walked into the attendings lounge, he shut the door behind them and walked toward Maggie. Pulling her into his embrace, he hugged her and buried his face into her hair. He then pulled away and kissed her softly on her lips. He asked her to have a seat. He sat down next to her. He grabbed her left hand ran his thumb against her knuckles and placed a kiss on the palm. With his head down, he told her what happened in the storage closet with April and how April was at his apartment last night, apologizing and professing her love to him.

"I am not sure how to handle this Maggie. I know what I want to do, but it's not going to be easy at all. I don't want to hurt anyone."

Confused, Maggie looked up at Jackson and said, "So what do you want to do? Do you want to be with her?"

He looked at her with soft eyes and said "I need to try for Harriet. I am so sorry Maggie but I need to try."

Maggie looked away and wiped the tears from her eyes. She turned back and looked at Jackson and said, "I mean you had feelings. You had huge feelings and I can't expect you to just turn those feelings off."

She went to get up to leave the room and before she could, Jackson stood up and took her by the hand pulling her into his chest for a hug. He whispered, "I am so sorry Maggie," as he dug his face into her hair. "Please don't hate me. You have become such an important person in my life. I want you to know that. Please tell me that we will be able to get past this." Maggie kissed him on the cheek pulled away and said "goodbye."

Jackson left the room to find April. She was in the ER sitting in the nurses' station. He walked up behind her placing his hands on her shoulder, "Hey you, can we do dinner tonight so we can talk about us."

With a huge smile on her face April said "yes!" She jumped up and gave him a kiss out of excitement.

…

Maggie went home that night and opened up a bottle of wine and sat in the living room. She thought about the conversation she had with Jackson and if it was worth mentioning to her sisters. Meredith came storming through the door with a look of confusion on her face screaming, "Maggie? What is going on? I heard April talking to Arizona about her date with Jackson. What is going on?"

Maggie looked up and said, "They are working it out. He is working it out for Harriet. They have feelings!" Maggie got up, grabbed the bottle of wine and went to her bedroom. Meredith followed her upstairs, "Maggie are you okay? Are you going to be okay?"

Meredith, "I'm fine. It was a new relationship, right. Maybe we were meant to just be friends. They have history and I have to respect that. Besides, it is better that it happened now while there are no real feelings there right," as her eyes filled up with tears.

Amelia overhearing the conversation walked into the room, "I can't believe he did that."

"I am fine."

"Maggie please don't put on a brave face for us. We know you have strong feelings for him, please stop minimizing it."

Maggie looked at both her sisters, "please don't hate him. Even though this happened, he was there for me during one of the hardest times in my life. I have to respect the fact that he wants to try to make his family work. If my mom was still here and wanted to make it work with my dad, I would want that. As much as this hurts, I want him to be happy. Even if it is not with me."

Amelia and Meredith looked at each other and then looked at Maggie, "Are you sure. We can hate him if you want." Maggie nodded her head yes as she gulped down her wine.

(Thank you for Reading. Please show your support by leaving a review.)


	2. Moving on

**Moving On**

A couple of weeks had gone by and things had pretty much settled. April and Jackson were spending more time together with Harriet and trying to figure out next steps in repairing their relationship. Maggie buried herself in work. Meredith and Amelia took her out from time to time and the kids kept her busy. As hard as it was, she focused on herself and eventually everything fell right back into place. She once again was focused on the one thing that made her happy and that she excelled at, WORK!

April and Jackson walked into the hospital together holding hands. April appeared bubbly and happy with a huge smile on her face. Catherine was in the ER on a consult. She saw them walk in together with Harriet. April kissed Jackson and told him she would take Harriet to daycare. Catherine pulled Jackson aside and asked him, "What is going on? Are you and April back together?"

"Yes, Ma. I really don't want to go into details right now but we are figuring things out."

Placing her hand on his chest, "hold on Jackson, we had a huge blow up about you and Maggie and now you walk in with April? Richard also gave you his approval to date Maggie? What changed?"

"I called things off with Maggie and I am going to try to make things work with April. I want Harriet to have a real family. So I am going to work on giving her that," rolling his eyes.

"Are you sure Jackson, is this what you really want. I remember how tough things got between you two and I can't see you go through that again. I finally got my baby back and I don't want to lose him again," she said with concern.

Jackson bent down placed a kiss on her cheek and said, "I'm sure mom."

Catherine kissed him on the cheek and said, "Chile, I hope you are right about this. I like April and I am so thankful she had my grandbabies but the two of you together, I am not so sure about."

Jackson placed his hand on his mother's shoulder and reassured her he wanted to try to get his family back together. "I love you mom. Please support me with this."

"I love you too baby," she said grabbing his hand. So what did Maggie say?"

"She said goodbye. Not sure what it meant because I asked that we remain friends," he said looking down at his mother. "I haven't seen her. It's almost like she doesn't work here anymore. Went from running into her all the time to not seeing her at all."

Not wanting to give her input, she said, "Well, your focus needs to be on April and Harriet."

"I know Ma. It's just weird. We were friends you know."

"Well as her friend Baby, give her space to figure things out. She owes you nothing. Besides, Dr. Margaret Pierce will be just fine. I won't be surprised if she finds someone soon. That woman is amazing and she is a genius." Catherine said as she walked back toward her patient in the pit.

Jackson laughed sarcastically at his mother and said goodbye.

…

"Maggie," she heard her name being called as she walked down the hall. She turned around to see who it was. It was Jackson. She turned and replied, "Hey Dr. Avery. Can you please refer to me as Dr. Pierce. I would really appreciate that," she said, placing her hands in her pocket.

Confused, Jackson said, "Why?"

"Because that is what a prefer," she said appearing frustrated and annoyed. Placing her hand at her temple she said, What can I help you with?"

"How are you? I haven't really seen you?"

"Why would you see me? I've been giving you your space and taking care of me. I have been really busy with surgeries and working on my rechargeable hearts."

"How are you doing though? Jackson asked, I know things ended abruptly and I just don't want you to hate me."

"I don't hate you. I just don't want to deal with you on a personal level. I understand your choice and I have accepted it. Give me some time and maybe we can get to the point where we can be acquaintances. I wish you the best Dr. Avery. See you around."

Maggie turned away and walked quickly down the hall. He watched until she disappeared through the double doors. While standing there, April came from around the corner and pushed him into one of the on call rooms. She put her arms around his neck and began kissing him while lifting his shirt attempting to take it off. He was so distracted by Maggie's response that it took him awhile to realize what was going on.

"What's wrong Jackson?" "Jackson"

"Huh…wait what's happening?"

Looking at April, "What are you doing?"

With a confused look on her face April responded, "What does it look like? I want you Jackson."

Looking down at April he said, "I want to take things slow. I want us to work on getting to know each other again and our relationship becoming more than just sex. This is too much too fast."

"Do you not want to be with me?" April responded

"It's not that. While we were apart, you slept with an intern, the Neuro guy and God knows who else. I want us to take our time. I don't want to rush into this. Not like this."

April looked at Jackson with a scowl on her face and raised her voice, "are you going to punish me for that? We were not together? You divorced me and walked away from me."

Trying not to react he walked to the other side of the room to cool off. "April what are you talking about. I am here right, I am standing right in front of you telling you what I need from you in order to make this work."

"Jackson, I want you, I want you in every way possible. I just want you to want me back too." She expressed.

"It takes time April. We haven't been together in almost a year. The last time we had sex was when we were in Montana. It was just sex to me at the time. We were drinking and laughing and having a good time. I told you we can try again. Let's date. What we did not do before we got married. Lets really get to know each other."

"Okay Jackson. I just want things to work this time around.

Jackson's phone went off and when he looked down, "consult in the pit." He looked at April. "We will continue this conversation later," He said. He kissed her cheek and ran out of the room.

...

Maggie was already in the Pit on a consult. A patient came into the ER with difficulty breathing due to smoke inhalation from a fire in the home. She also had severe burns on her chest and abdomen.

Maggie worked on her to get her breathing under control and examined her heart.

"What you got Hunt?" Jackson asked.

"Over here Avery." Owen brought him into the room where Maggie was. He observed the burns on the patient's chest and abdomen.

As he did his exam, Maggie continued to assess the patient.

"Her breathing is under control. I would like to get a chest CT after you check out the burns."

Turning to Parker, "Please page me when you are headed to CT," she said while walking out of the room.

Jackson let out a loud sigh, and whispered under his breath, "she cant even be in a room with me."

"What was that Dr. Avery?" Parker said looking up at him.

Clearing his throat he said, "nothing Parker. Nothing at all."

Once the patient was ready to head to CT, Parker and Jackson wheeled them to the elevator.

Maggie was standing by the nurse's station talking to one of the firefighters that brought the patient in.

He was tall, fair skin, chestnut colored eyes and a bald head. He was very handsome. He was "FINE".

"Parker, who is that," Jackson asked as they both looked over at Maggie.

"That is Captain Sullivan. Every time he comes here, he asks for Dr. Pierce. She usually doesn't give him the time of day but I guess she had time today."

He watched Jackson as he stared at Maggie.

"Dr. Avery, Everything okay? You're staring."

"Yeah, yeah everything is fine. Just never seen him before."

Jackson watched as Maggie interacted with Captain Sullivan. Maggie smiled and giggled as he touched her arm. She is flirting, he whispered to himself. She is glowing. She is interested in him.

He watched as Captain Sullivan handed her his phone. Maggie grabbed it and proceeded to put her telephone number into the phone. She smiled and looked at him as she handed it back "you better use it," she said. He held her hand as she tried to walk away, he pulled her back toward him and placed a kiss on her palm. He let her hand go and she waved goodbye with a smile on her face. As she walked toward the elevator, Sullivan yelled out, "I definitely will Dr. Pierce." Sullivan watched as Maggie walked toward the elevator with a huge smile on his face and Jackson watched him, as he looked at Maggie.

Maggie made her way toward them with a huge smile on her face. Her cheeks were red. She was giddy and happy.

With a smile on her face, she said, "Are you taking the patient to CT?"

"Yes, "Parker responded.

"Perfect, let's go."

Jackson was quiet the whole elevator ride up. He looked forward trying his best not to look at Maggie. They stood close enough for him to smell her perfume. He remembered holding her close to his chest and taking in her essence. He remembered her touch and how she would stand on the tip of her toes to kiss him because she was so short. Her lips were so full and soft. She would place her hand on his cheeks pulling his lips into hers. She would hold on to his cheeks as their foreheads touched, as they gazed into each others eyes, they only saw each other.

His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the elevator doors opening.

April was standing on the other side.

"Hey Dr. Kepner, Dr. Hunt was looking for you. He told me to let you know he needed you in the Pit." Maggie said as she exited the elevator.

"Thanks Dr. Pierce"

"Jackson we should stay in tonight. We can go to my apartment? We can order something or I can make dinner. We need to talk about our living situation."

"Can we talk about this later April? I have to take this patient to CT and get them in the OR?"

"Okay Jackson. Come find me when you are ready to leave"

"Ok April. See you later."

Maggie saw Meredith and Amelia walking down the hall and yelled out, "Lady Chiefs have I got some news for you. With a huge smile on her face." She instructed Parker to page her when they got the scans.

Maggie ran down the hall to meet her sisters. She told them about Robert Sullivan and his interest in taking her out to dinner but not being sure. They encouraged her to go out with him. "You are single and he is single why not?"

Besides,"He is Fine," Amelia said.

Maggie giggled "OK". "He is handsome and it will be good to get out of the house."

Maggie's phone buzzed.

"Got to go, scans are in."

Parker and Jackson were in the CT room looking at the scans. From behind them, Maggie looked at the scans and saw the damage that was done by the fire and smoke.

"She's going to need surgery."

"Parker please go and book a OR."

Jackson looked at Maggie, "I can assist with the flap. She is going to need one given the damage to her chest wall to protect her heart."

Maggie nodded yes and walked out of the CT room, to go prep for surgery.

Parker could sense the tension between Dr. Pierce and Dr. Avery in the room.

While in surgery Maggie's phone buzzed.

"Can somebody read that?"

Told you I would use it. How about dinner tomorrow night, Beautiful? -Robert

Maggie's eyes lit up and she couldn't help but smile. Jackson looked over at Maggie and a feeling of sadness came over him. He remembered that look. That's how she used to look at him when she was excited to see him.

The room then went silent.

Maggie finished her part of the surgery as Jackson continued to work. "I'm all set. I will check on the patient at post-op." Maggie left the room, leaving Parker behind to close.

Jackson didn't want her to go. Even though the room was silent, her presence alone was enough for him. He was still attracted to her and the feelings he had for her never left. The idea of her being over him so quickly hurt him. He still had feelings for her and with every interaction they got stronger.

...

The next day, Jackson saw Maggie by the coffee cart in front of the hospital. He reached over to the cashier and paid for his coffee and hers. "Hey Maggie."

"It's Dr. Pierce, Dr. Avery."

"Dr. Avery?! So we're really doing this now?"

"That's your name right," while looking over her shoulder.

"What are you expecting Jackson? I'm not going to act like everything's okay to make you feel better. Were you expecting me to be all smiles around you?"

"I'm not saying that,'' Jackson argued. Thought we could at least go back to being friends."

"Jackson, I am not going to make myself small to make things easier for you. You made a choice now live with it. I cannot and will not do this with you right now. You are a colleague and we will leave it at that. Thank you for the coffee Dr. Avery. Have a good day."

Surprised by her response he followed her to the elevator and gently grabbed her arm.

"Wait, weeks ago we were making out and making plans to have dinner. How can things change so quickly? Maggie?" He said with a raised tone.

"Jackson give me some time. I need space and right now I just don't want to see you or want to be around you."

She pulled her arm away and walked into the elevator. They stared intently at each other as the elevator doors close.

(As always, thank you for Reading. Please show your support by leaving a review.)


	3. Red Lipstick

**Red Lipstick**

Maggie felt it was too soon to go out with Robert that night. However, after texting back and forth with Sullivan daily and a couple of phone conversations. Maggie Finally agreed to a date. She was both nervous and excited. Her sisters were also excited to see her jumping back into the dating scene.

After a long shift at the hospital, she was in the attendings lounge getting ready for her date. Amelia and Meredith walked into the attendings lounge to a panicked Maggie. She was worried about her date with Robert. She was looking in the mirror talking to herself. "I can't bring the thunder. I have to show him the softer side of Maggie. Why is this so hard? Should I cancel? I should cancel?"

"Relax Maggie!," Meredith reassured her, "it's just a date. It's not like you're getting married, it's just a date."

"Damn Maggie, you look hot!" Amelia said biting down on her index finger.

With a nervous smile she responded "thank you. It's not too much, is it?"

"You look perfect," Amelia said. "Robert is not going to know what to do when he sees you."

Maggie was dressed in a fitted black dress that accentuated every single curve. The back of the dress dipped all the way down to the tip of her tail bone. Her hair was pulled up in a high curly ponytail with a bang. She had on red pumps and her makeup was flawless. Her red lips sealed the look.

"I am so nervous. How about if he doesn't like me. Uh." Maggie said to her sisters.

Meredith and Amelia looked at Maggie.

"Maggie you are beautiful. If he is not into you that is his loss," Meredith said.

"It has been a while since you have gone out on a date so just try to enjoy yourself,'' Amelia said while squeezing Maggie's shoulder. "Have a great time tonight. Relax and just be yourself. We will see you at home later. Can't wait to hear all about it."

Meredith and Amelia left the room and made there way to the pit.

As they exited the room, Jackson was walking down the hall toward the attendings lounge. Meredith and Amelia watched as he entered the room.

"Hmmm. I wonder what he is going to say when he sees Maggie. Oh to be a fly on that wall."

Amelia turned to go back but Meredith grabbed her before she could make it down the hall.

"Mind your business. Besides I am sure we will hear all about it tonight."

…

Jackson walked in and found Maggie packing her bag to leave. When he saw her, he lost his words…

"Wow! You look, you look...Amazing"

"Jackson, please don't"

"I'm already nervous and really don't need you to say anything to me right now."

Jackson closed the door behind him and locked it. Maggie turned to look at him. Their eyes locked. His blue eyes were so hypnotizing and every time he looked at her, she felt weak in the knees and calm at the same time. He had that type of an effect. She quickly looked away trying not to get caught up in a trance.

"Jackson, what are you doing?"

Quietly, he walked over to Maggie. He ran his fingers down her back going from the nape of her neck to the small of her back. He whispered into her ears, "You look amazing. I love when you wear your hair like that, it shows off your neck. I love your neck. Her breath hitched when she felt his hands on her skin. It felt so good. He then stood behind her and pressed his body against hers. He placed several kisses on her neck and then her shoulder. He turned her around and looked into her eyes as his hands continued to travel up and down her back. Their eyes locked again as their foreheads touched. For a moment they were floating, he forgot about April and she forgot about her date. It was almost like they were in their own world. He kissed her pulse point which caused her to moan softly. He then leaned in to kiss her red lips but when she felt his breath she moved away.

"Jackson, we can't do this. I can't do this. You're with April." She grabbed her purse and began to walk out of the room.

"Maggie, please don't."

"Please don't what, Jackson."

Maggie looked at Jackson with soft eyes as she left the room.

Jackson watched as she walked out and couldn't say a word. He covered his face with his hands and let out a loud sigh,"I really fucked up." As he sat there thinking about what just happened, he heard his phone vibrate. He looked at it and saw a text from April.

Hey I'm ready and waiting for you by the car. Hurry can't wait to spend some time with you alone- April.

…

On her way out to meet Robert, Maggie was paged to the ER for a quick consult by Alex.

"Pierce you look hot. You got a hot date tonight?"

"Yes, Alex."

She completed the consult and told Alex the patient was fine and did not require surgery.

"If anything should change, page me."

She grabbed her stuff and walked to the parking lot.

Maggie walked through the parking lot making her way to her car. Before she could open the door she felt someone grab her from behind. It was Jackson. He gently pushed her up against the car and held her close to him. He looked at her with his piercing eyes and kissed her passionately. She could feel his hand caressing her body and she lost all control. She put her arms around his neck and leaned into his kiss. He then pulled away. He gazed into her brown eyes, like he was taking in the moment. He kissed her on the forehead and walked away without saying a word. Maggie was shocked. She was not sure what just happened or how she felt about it. She knew one thing…that kiss was Hot!

Surprised, Maggie got into her car and sat there trying to figure out what just happened. She then started the car and drove off.

…

Jackson made his way through the parking lot. All he could do was think about Maggie. That kiss sent an electric shock through his body. He knew all he wanted was her. He needed her...

"Avery"

"Avery"

Alex came running toward him.

"You want to go grab a drink? Jo is working late and I don't want to go alone. Dude your lips are red. Why are your lips red?"

Jackson looked in a nearby car mirror. Wiping his lips he responded "no I can't tonight. I am having dinner with April."

"I heard you two were working on things. You sure you want to go down that road again." Staring at Jackson.

"Avery, why are your lips red?"

"Karev leave it alone."

"I saw Pierce earlier and She looked amazing. She looked hot! She had on red lipstick. Wait Jackson are you and Pierce a thing. Are you her date?"

"No," Jackson said annoyingly.

"So why are your lips red? Avery?! Did you?"

"Huh"

Jackson looked at Alex and his eyes said it all. He checked his lips again to make sure the lipstick was gone. He just didn't know how to respond to Alex's question.

"Jackson are you sure about wanting to be with Kepner?"

They heard a voice yelling out in their direction.

"Let's go. I'm starving."

April was standing by the car waiting for him.

"I don't know Karev. I don't know." As he walked toward the car to meet April.

…

Maggie looked at her face in the rear view mirror to retouch her lipstick before entering the restaurant. As the lipstick touched her lips she thought of the pulsating feeling that went through her body when Jackson kissed her. In that moment all the feelings came flooding back. She began to remember why she liked him in the first place. Why she was willing to stop running away and giving to his advances. Her thoughts were interrupted by the valet attendant.

"Good Evening Ma'am"

Maggie exited the car and grabbed her purse. Before walking into the restaurant she checked herself out one more time. She was so nervous. She was trying her best not to think about what happen. She wanted to focus on Robert.

"I am one lucky guy"

She turned to see Robert watching her from afar.

He handed her a single red rose and kissed the palm of her hand. She couldn't help but to blush.

They walked into the restaurant. He pulled out her chair and proceeded to ask her about her day. Maggie was so nervous. "Don't bring the thunder. Don't bring the thunder."

"You okay." Robert asked reaching for her hand.

"Yes I am fine. Can we order some wine?"

After a couple of minutes, she was able to relax. She blocked out her thoughts of Jackson and convinced herself, he is just having trouble letting go.

Robert complimented her the whole night. He was gentle and so sweet. By the end of the night they were laughing and so comfortable with one another. He paid the bill and then pulled out Maggie's chair. He took her by the hand and walked her to the valet.

"I had a great time Maggie. We should do this again."

"Are you asking me out on another date?"

"Maybe," she said flirtatiously.

Maggie giggled and moved closer to him. As her car pulled up. He paid the valet, "so is that a yes!"

She leaned toward him and whispered into his ear, "yes," and kissed him softly on the lips. She got into her car and drove off.

(As always, thank you for Reading. Please show your support by leaving a review.)


	4. A fresh start, really?

A Fresh Start, Really?

On the ride to April's apartment, all Jackson could do was think about Maggie. He thought about how sexy she looked in that black dress with the red pumps. If given the chance, he would have sexed her down in the attendings lounge. When he kissed her in the parking lot it brought out feelings he tried to bury when he decided to rekindle things with April. He brushed his fingers across his lips and closed his eyes. He found himself becoming angry and jealous. The thought of another man being with Maggie pissed him off. He realized his mother was right. Maggie was not mediocre. She was amazing, talented and beautiful all around.

"Jackson, what do you want to eat?" April asked

"Huh, what was that?" he said.

"What do you want to eat. Are you okay, you seem distracted?"

"No, im fine. How about Chinese. Ask them for extra fortune cookies," as he smiled down at April.

Jackson was trying to distract himself from the thought of Maggie being on a date with another man. He found himself getting annoyed. The thought of someone else's hands and lips exploring her toffee toned skin, holding her hand and being in her space, "uhhhh". He turned on the TV and started watching a soccer game.

April shouted from the kitchen, "It's going to be about an hour. They are busy tonight. I can cook something if that is easier?" Jackson looked at April and said, "we can wait."

She pulled out a bottle of whisky and they talked and drank while waiting for the food. They talked about their relationship and reminisced about the good times. The more he drank, the more he thought about Maggie. He wondered what she was doing.

"Jackson, can I ask you something? You and Maggie had feelings for each other at one point. Did you guys ever...?" April said.

Jackson looked at April with a stunned look on his face." Why are you asking me about Maggie?"

"I saw the way you looked at her. I know that look Jackson. I just wanted to be sure you still didn't have feelings for her."

"I am here with you aren't I. If I did act on it don't you think I would be with her?"

He thought to himself, she would be with me. If I picked her. We would be together having dinner and dessert all night long. She wouldn't be looking all sexy and going out on dates with other men. I would be looking into her eyes and kissing her soft lips.

"Jackson," April shouted. "Can you turn the TV off, you're distracted by the game."

He turned the TV off and said, "Why did you ask me about Maggie?"

"Feeling a little insecure. I used to watch you looking at her when the two of you were together and it has been a long time since I've seen you smile like that."

"We are just friends April."

Trying to end the discussion, he leaned over and kissed her on the cheek.

The doorbell rang the food was here.

Jackson paid and they ate dinner together. They continued to drink and talk about what life could have been like if they never got a divorce.

As they talked, Jackson started thinking about all the pain he felt after Samuel died and when April left him to help soldiers and him behind to grieve on his own. He thought about how accepting he was and how she continued to take his love and affection for granted. All he wanted was to grieve with his wife. He thought about how his friends were there while she was away. Though he and Maggie were not together then, she was there. They celebrated Christmas together at Karev's house. It was a disaster but the eggnog was good.

He mumbled, "Things would have worked out between us if you never left when you did! I needed you and you left me."

"I don't know how many times I have to say this to you! I had to leave. I felt trapped."

"You felt trapped by me April?!"

"Uh, Jackson, can we not!"

"You felt trapped by me April! Just say that. You continued to make it seem like things were good between us then and they weren't. You wanted a break from me. When you left you broke my heart. Matter of fact, you broke my heart, twice!"

He paused and pushed his chair out.

"Our marriage was full of ultimatums and they were all yours. I went out of my way for you and you couldn't, wouldn't give me an inch. I told you what I wanted and what I needed from you and you did not care."

Jackson got up and went outside. While outside he began thinking about the pain he felt. The rejection and embarrassment. The anger and rage he felt toward her and how it made him hate the person he became. How they were toward one another. How toxic it was. He didn't want to go back to that.

He thought about when he stopped feeling the wreckage he experienced from his relationship with April. When he was able to just let her go and be free from the pain. He thought about Harriet and how she changed his world. She was a ray of sunshine peeking through the dark clouds. Then he thought about Maggie. She was so awkward it was cute. She always knew how to calm him down. He then remembered she was not talking to him. She wanted nothing to do with him.

"I really messed up!" Jackson mumbled.

Feelings of jealousy and anger came back. He clenched his fist in frustration. He decided to go for a walk around the block to cool off.

Once calm, he walked into the house and found April cleaning up. He walked passed her and grabbed another glass of whiskey. He sat on the sofa and thought about what Maggie was doing. Robert's hands all over her body. Touching her in ways that he could not. Her lips kissing his. Her tongue in his mouth. Her pulling him into her for kisses.

"Jackson, I am sorry I hurt you. I want us to learn from our past so we don't make the same mistakes. I am happy we got it all out. I think we should just move forward from here. Fresh start!"

"I really can't do this right now April. I have to go. I have surgery in the morning. I will see you tomorrow." He kissed her on the cheek and left.

When he got home, he collapsed on his sofa. His mind was all over the place. The thought of Maggie being with someone else just didn't sit well. He didn't like the idea of her not talking to him or wanting to have anything to do with him. It was driving him crazy. Things with April were not good at all. He couldn't forget. He forgave her, he just couldn't forget. Why did I go back? I don't want to fix this… it's beyond repair he thought. "But Harriet."

He pulled out his phone and sent a text to Maggie.

...

Maggie got home and walked into the living room. She thought about her date and how amazing it was. Robert was so nice and funny too. She smiled and then heard her phone chime. Thinking it might be the hospital she pulled it out of her purse and checked. "Jackson" she whispered.

J: Maggie. How are you? We need to talk.

M: Is it an emergency at the hospital?

J: No, but I need to see you.

M: Then we have nothing to discuss. Have a good night Dr. Avery.

Maggie tossed her phone back into her bag and let out a loud sigh.

Meredith and Amelia came out of the kitchen.

Amelia said, "It was that bad?"

"No, no," she said, shaking her head. "I had such a great time. We are going to go out again!"

Meredith and Amelia both waited to hear about what happened in the attendings lounge with Jackson. They both tilted their heads waiting to see if she would say anything.

"Maggie?"

"Yes Amelia"

"We saw Jackson walk into the attendings lounge as we were walking out. What happen? Don't say nothing because the way you were looking there is no way he was not going to say something."

Annoyed, Maggie said "I really don't want to talk about it. I just want to have a night with no drama. I want to tell you about Robert."

"Ok Maggie. I have my ways of finding out", Meredith hinted.

"Come on. Can we just talk about my date with Robert and how great it was?" Maggie was avoiding her sisters because she didn't want to cry. She didn't want to think about Jackson. She did not want to think about what happened in the parking lot. When he kissed her there was passion, dominance, comfort and heat. His kiss and touch sent an electric shock through her body. She didn't want to have to explain to her sisters that she still had feelings for him. She wanted to stay on the surface, where she had all the control.

Maggie heard her phone buzz again… She ignored it and continued talking to her sisters. Then it started ringing. She let out a loud grunt, "What does he want?"

What does who want? Meredith said, looking over at Amelia.

It's nothing. She said as she pulled out her phone.

It's Alex…

"Hello?"

"Maggie patient took a turn and coded. Need you to come to the hospital."

"Okay Karev, I'm on my way."

"Gotta go ladies!" Maggie took her heels off and put on some flats, threw on a cardigan, grabbed her purse and ran out of the house.

…

Jackson sat on the sofa holding his phone. Staring at the text message from Maggie. He threw his phone out of frustration across the room and and covered his face with one of the throw pillows, "Damn it"

(As always, thank you for Reading. Please show your support by leaving a review.)


	5. Second thoughts!

Second Thoughts

Maggie had been on a couple of dates with Robert. She really enjoyed his company and looked forward to seeing him. Jackson on the other hand she avoided like the plague. She did no surgeries with him. If he was on the case, she would assign someone else. She avoided being alone in the attendings lounge. Him and April continued to work things out. They were constantly arguing. He looked unhappy. He began to isolate, he became angrier and short tempered.

"Maggie, Dr. Pierce"

"Dr. Kepner, you need me"

"Yes! Jackson needs you in trauma room one. There is a patient in there with an open chest wound."

"Okay. I will send someone down to check it out."

"You're already here can you please just do it so we can get him into surgery. It's an emergency. Please Dr. Pierce."

"Okay," Maggie said as she walked toward the trauma room.

When Maggie walked into trauma room one, Jackson was surprised to see her. His eyes could not leave her. April walked in right behind her and he put his head down. He felt Maggie when she had to squeeze pass him to get the patient, he could smell her perfume and when he felt her body pressed against his, it sent shock waves throughout his body. He closed his eyes and imagined the last time he held her in his arms. It was the same day April ambushed him in the storage closet. He and Maggie were making out in the closet. They made plans to have dinner at his place and dessert all night. It was the day Richard and Catherine caught them. Jackson let out a laugh as he thought about their reaction and Maggie saying "Good luck with your vagina."

"Are you okay Jackson", April asked.

"I'm fine. I was just thinking about something that happened a while ago."

Maggie kept her head down while she worked on the patient. She told Parker what test to order. She examined the chest wound and saw that the patient needed to be in an OR immediately. She told Parker to book a OR and told them to prep the patient for surgery.

"Will you guys be joining?"

"Yes, April responded."

Jackson looked up," Yes."

Maggie then left the room. She paged Dr. Ryan and told him to go to OR 3. She sent him the chart and told him the patient was on his way to the OR.

While Jackson and April were at the sink scrubbing, Dr. Ryan walked in.

"Is this the patient?"

Jackson looked up. "Yes. Where is Dr. Pierce?"

"She paged me and told me to come to OR 3. She sent me the chart so I am familiar with the case."

With a disappointing voice Jackson responded, "Ok".

The three of them performed the surgery and the patient was brought to the cardiac ICU.

Walking through the cardiac unit, Jackson walked by Maggie's lab. He saw her working on her rechargeable hearts. He watched her from the window. He was hurting. He couldn't understand why she was avoiding him. Why can't we just be the way we used to be? I was there for her when her mother died, he thought. I was her comfort during those times when she just needed to talk. His gaze softened and he became very sad. Then he heard a voice calling his name…

"Jackson, are you okay?"

It was Meredith. She walked over and stood next to him.

"What are we looking at?"

He continued to stare at Maggie

"This is considered stalking Jackson"

"How is she Grey? I know you know everything because she talks to you."

"She's okay. She is keeping herself busy and has moved on. She is still seeing Robert and they have become very close. On the outside she is happy. I know she is having a hard time though. I can hear her crying sometimes. She has pictures of her mother scattered all over her bed. She is still grieving. This is new for her. She has never lost anyone. Diane always said she was sunshine and after she died Maggie would experience darkness… This is darkness. She is trying her best were around, it was a bit easier but now she is trying to manage it on her own. We are there for her but you made her feel safe. She felt safe enough to let loose and knew you would be there for her no matter what."

When he heard that his heart sunk. "It was real Grey. I was not expecting to fall for Maggie Pierce. She is not like any other woman I know. She made me feel something I never knew I could feel. I need her Grey. I really need her. She was my comfort. She was what I needed after a rough couple of years of misery. As silly as she was, I enjoyed my moments with her. She made me laugh and she also challenged me. It was healthy and pure. She would never lie to me and she never kept anything from me. I really appreciated her honesty. I want her to be with me."

"So why are you with April?"

"Because I need to try for Harriet."

"Jackson, just because you have kids with her doesn't mean you have to be together. Do you love April? Do you want to be with April? Have things changed or settled back to the way they use to be?"

"It is so hard Grey. I want Harriet to have what I didn't have. I want her to have both parents."

"You and April are able to co-parent. You do an amazing job with Harriet. She loves the both of you and spends time with both of you. She can have two parents who love and respect each other as friends. You shouldn't have to continue to suffer to be in a relationship that brings you pain especially if you are in love with someone else."

"Jackson you are my friend but Maggie is my sister. I will not allow you to come into her life and hurt her again. You need to decide what you want. Maggie is Beautiful, she is brilliant, she is special and anyone who gets to be with her is lucky!"

Meredith yelled at him as she walked away. "I will always protect her!"

From a distance April watched Jackson. She tilted her head wondering what he was looking at and what he was talking to Meredith about. She walked over to Jackson.

"What's going on? What was that about with Meredith?"

Jackson continued to stare at Maggie and did not respond. She yelled "Jackson?"

He looked at her… and walks away.

"Jackson what is going on with you?"

"April I cannot talk about this right now."

"Why Jackson. Are you having second thoughts about us being together? I thought we were going to try again. I am not going to let you walk away from me again. We need to do this for Harriet."

Jackson looked at April and walked away.

…

Once he was calm, Jackson walked passed Maggie's lab hoping to catch a glimpse of her. When he didn't see her, he headed down to the cafeteria to grab lunch. When he walked in, he saw Maggie sitting with Robert. Their eyes met for a second and she turned her attention back to Robert. As he watched them interact, he thought about how much he missed being around her. Her dry jokes that made him laugh uncontrollably and how excited she got when she talked about her research. A feeling of sadness came over him. They were friends and their friendship was so innocent until April said something to her about him having feelings for her. He didn't think he did, but he did and he still did. How can she just move on so quickly. Maggie smiled and laughed while holding Robert's hand. She looked so happy and it was clear that she was really into Robert.

Annoyed and frustrated, Jackson got up and left the cafeteria. On his way down the hall he saw April. He grabbed her hand and went into an on-call room. She was excited. He finally wanted to have sex after many months of waiting. She took her scrub top off and pushed him against the wall. Jackson was in another world. His mind was racing and all he could think about was Maggie. He was frustrated. April kissed his neck and made her way down to his chest and then his stomach. She then reached down, pulled out his length and began to stroke it. She wrapped her lips around him, taking him fully into her mouth. Jackson tilted his head back and moaned out "Oh Maggie."

"What Jackson?" April said.

"Why did you stop April?" staring down at her.

"Because you just called me Maggie"

"No, I didn't," he said scratching his head.

"Yes you did, I know what I heard Jackson."

"April you are hearing things."

"Jackson I know what I heard and you called me Maggie."

"You know what April, forget it. Forget this."

Jackson pulled up his pants, looked at April and walked out of the on-call room. As he walked down the hall, he thought about what had just happened but didn't remember calling out Maggie's name. What is wrong with me he thought. When he looked toward the elevator, he saw Maggie standing alone.

"Maggie, I mean Dr. Pierce."

"Hi Dr. Avery, what can I help you with?"

"I really miss you Maggie," he whispered.

Maggie looked at him and said, "let it go Jackson. Just let me go. If not for you do it for Harriet. That's who you are doing this for, right." She turned and walked away.

(As always, thank you for Reading. Please show your support by leaving a review.)


	6. Consequences

**Consequences**

Weeks went by and Jackson continued to struggle with his decision. Him and April were constantly at odds. He was easily irritated and started snapping at the interns. Maggie and Robert continued to date. They were 5 months in and she still wasn't sure if he was the one. Her mother helped her determine if a man was worth her time. Diane was her barometer. While having lunch with Richard one day, she told him about Robert. Richard wanted to meet Robert so he invited Maggie and Robert over for dinner.

Maggie and Robert pulled up in front of Richard and Catherine's house.

"Are you nervous? I'm nervous, I hope they like you?"

"Maggie calm down. It's going to be just fine." Robert said while holding Maggie's hand."

They rung the doorbell and both Richard and Catherine greeted them at the door. Robert and Maggie walked into the house. Robert handed Catherine a bouquet of flowers and shook Richard's hand.

"Strong grip I see. I like him already."

The four of them walked into the dining room. Robert pulled out Maggie's chair and placed her napkin on her lap. Richard and Catherine were impressed.

They ask Robert about himself. He talked about his job of being the Captain for Station 19. He talked about his experience and his life goals. Maggie was impressed. She thought he was going to have a hard time during dinner. Both Richard and Catherine can be difficult. After dinner, they continued the conversation in the living room.

Catherine asked, "What are your intentions with Maggie? Richard won't ask but I will?"

Maggie almost choked on her wine when she heard Catherine's question.

Robert was caught off guard by the question. He responded, "well I hope we are not just dating to date. I really like her and I can see a future with her."

Maggie smiled at him and reached for his hand. He lifted her hand and kissed it as he looked into her eyes.

Then they heard the doorbell. Richard got up to get the door. To his surprise it was Jackson and April. They decided to surprise Catherine with a visit. As they walked into the house, Richard looked over at Maggie and asked to speak to her in the kitchen. Maggie kissed Robert on the cheek and explained she would be right back.

Her and Richard walked into the kitchen, "Jackson and April are here. They brought Harriet too. Are you okay if they stay?'

Maggie looked at Richard and responded, "I'm okay. It's okay, I'll be just fine."

"Listen Maggie If you want to leave that is okay too. Thank you for bringing Robert here I really like him. I know that your mom played an important role in selecting the guys you date. Thank you for giving me that chance." She hugged Richard and walked back into the living room.

"Hi," Maggie said as she walked into the room. She grabbed Robert's hand and said April and Jackson this is my boyfriend Robert Sullivan. He is the Captain at Station 19.

Hey Maggie, We have already met. We have been chatting. Jackson sat quietly staring at Maggie. Robert's hands were on her lap and she held onto his arm and her head rested on his shoulder. As they continued to talk, Robert turned to her and asked, "Beautiful, can you please get me a cup of coffee. I have to work tonight and I need to get my energy up."

"Sure Babe, be right back." Before she could walk away he grabbed her hand and placed a kiss on her palm. Maggie smiled and walked toward the kitchen.

Maggie walked into the kitchen and attempted to grab a mug out of the cabinet. She got on her tippy toes and reached into the cabinet and still could not reach them. Then she felt someone press up against her reaching up into the cabinet to grab the mug she was reaching for. She closed her eyes as she felt him dig his face into her hair, taken in her essence. He could feel her relax against him, and in that moment, it felt natural to both of them. Maggie quickly turned around and Jackson was standing directly in front of her. He whispered, "Here you go," and handed her the mug. She looked up at him and said, "Thanks." His eyes were fixed on her lips and as he licked his lips, she felt the sudden urge to cross her legs. She then pushed passed him. Jackson stayed in the kitchen and watched her every move. His mother stood by the door watching him, she knew exactly what was going on but she needed to talk to him.

"Hi Maggie, are you finding everything you need," a voice said.

"Yes Catherine. Thank you so much for your hospitality," she said holding the cup of coffee she prepared for Robert.

"You are welcome Maggie. We love having you here."

Maggie looked at Jackson and then looked at Catherine. "I am going to excuse myself. I need to get this to Robert."

"Go on dear. I will see you in a few minutes."

...

Catherine turned to Jackson and said "Baby, can I talk to you for a second?" Making their way to Richards office.

"Are you okay?"

"Yea Ma, I'm fine."

"How are things with April? Are you guys officially back together? Why the sudden visit?"

"Ma I think I made a mistake. I feel like I am suffocating. I am miserable. April is such a great mother and a good friend and I love her. I just don't want to be with her. I'm not in love with her. I want to do this for Harriet but I can't. Harriet needs two happy parents and right now, I am not happy. It took me a long time to find peace after my divorce. Things were finally looking up, I had everything I could possibly ask for. I had a relationship with my daughter, April and I remained friends and supported one another and we were able to co-parent respectfully. I found love…Jackson paused and his eyes filled with tears. I am losing her Ma…"

"Losing who Baby…"

"Maggie"

Catherine realized that her baby was struggling with his decision. He reverted back to the person he was during the divorce and she was not happy about that. She gave him a hug and wiped the tears from his face. "You have to talk to April baby. You have to tell her."

Maggie interrupted Catherine and Jackson to wish them a goodnight. Jackson walked over to the window to hide his face. She explained that she had to get to the hospital early in the morning and Robert had to get back to the station. She gave Catherine a hug and waved goodbye to Jackson.

Richard walked them out and Robert thanked him for having him over for dinner. Maggie hugged Richard and thanked him for a wonderful night. Jackson watched from the window as Maggie and Robert walked out of the house holding hands making their way to his car. He put his arms around her waist and pulled her toward him. She had to get on her tippy toes to kiss him. She smiled and let out a giggle as he whispered in her ear, "I survived." He opened the car door for her and closed it once she was in the car. He watched as they drove off.

"Baby are you ok? I know this is hard for you and I also know you couldn't have expected her to wait for you."

"I know Ma. I just didn't think she would find someone so quickly."

"Honey Maggie is a gem. She has beauty and brains. She is the type of woman that you marry. She will make any parent proud. Hell! I was happy when you told me you liked her. I fought you on it because of Richard, but I saw it chile. I knew she would be good for you."

"I want you to be happy Jackson. Talk to April."

...

On the car ride home, Maggie and Robert continued talking about dinner. She was impressed by how he was able to get both Richard and Catherine to like him.

"You know Maggie, I am a likable guy," he said with a smirk on his face.

"You did not buckle under all that pressure it was very impressive," she said as she reached over and grabbed his hand.

When they pulled up in front of her house, he leaned over and kissed her lips. He whispered, "You taste so sweet." He got out of the car to open the door for Maggie. She however, pulled his lips back into hers. She whispered into his ear, "I am not ready for this night to be over quite yet. I was really turned on by you tonight and I want to show you how much." She climbed over to the driver side and straddled his lap. He moved the chair back and leaned it down. He leaned in to kiss her and she welcomed his lips onto hers. Her lips wrapped around his as he caressed her body. His hands moved all over her. The more he touched her the hotter she got. He kissed and nipped at her neck as she stroked his length through his pants. He unbuttoned her dress and began to caress her breast. His lips were all over her chest and he took one of her breast into his mouth which caused her to cry out "damn" as she bit down on her bottom lip.

She wanted to just feel him inside of her. He hiked her dress up and began to massage her thighs until he reached vagina. He moved her panties to the side. His fingers found her clit, she felt so good. "You ready for me huh," he whispered into her ear while nibbling on her neck. Maggie moaned as he massaged her clit. It felt so good she couldn't help but to bite down on his lips. It was getting intense. She unzipped his pants and could feel how hard he was. He wanted her as bad as she wanted him. He took a condom out of the center console and put it on… Before he could even grab her, she already slid down onto him. She started grinding her hips on top of him as he held on to her waist. She tilted her head back and he took her breast into his mouth as they continued to fuck. She rode the shit out of him taking control. They continued that way until they both climaxed. As he released into the condom, he held onto her and bit down on her neck. Maggie collapsed into his chest on the reclined driver side seat. Maggie's legs quivered and she could not move. He stroked her back and whispered, "That was great!"

She kissed his neck and returned back to the passenger side. She button up her dress and fixed her undies. She leaned over and kissed him passionately on the lips and said, "You don't need to walk me to the front door. Thank you for an excellent night."

Robert watched as she walked to the front door, she blew him a kiss and walked into the house.

...

Maggie woke up the next morning and started getting ready for work. She thought about her night with Robert and how hot and steamy things got in the car with him. She grabbed her stuff and walked to the bathroom. She saw Amelia leaving the bathroom. Amelia looked at her and said," Someone got some last night."

"Amelia, what are you talking about?" Wondering if they saw her in the car with Robert.

"I'm talking about that thing on your neck."

Maggie ran to the bathroom to look in the mirror. She noticed a hickey on her neck and began to panic.

"Oh my God, he marked me."

Amelia started laughing. "Why are you freaking out, you had hot sex with a hot guy. I didn't hear him leave, is he still here?"

Maggie puts her head down and didn't make eye contact with Amelia and says "we had car sex."

Amelia let out a laugh.

"I feel like a teenager."

"Was it at least good," Amelia asked while tilting her head to get a better view of Maggie's neck.

"It was alright I guess." Maggie responded. I had a very interesting night and I needed a release. He was there so I got my release. Besides it was going to happen eventually. Maggie looked over at Amelia...

Amelia stopped laughing and said, "So you have a hickey. Cover it up with some make-up. You will be just fine."

Amelia walked to her room, as she continued to laugh.

Maggie got ready and headed out to work.

...

While in her lab, Maggie got paged to the ER. She ran into Jackson while on the elevator. She walked into the elevator and stood in front of him, with her back facing him. "Dr. Avery." "Dr. Pierce," he said as he moved to stand next to her. Jackson looked at Maggie from head to toe. He examined every part of her body with his eyes. When he got to her neck, he noticed the hickey. He was a plastic surgeon, there was no way he wouldn't have noticed it.

"Maggie, what is that on your neck."

"Nothing Dr. Avery. Don't worry about it," she said as she pulled up her collar.

"Maggie, look at me."

Jackson turned her around to face him. He looked at Maggie and she didn't look at him in his eyes. He lifted her head with his hand and asked, "Did you have sex with him Maggie?"

She looked at him, and with a stern voice, "What does it matter Jackson, we are not together. I am in a relationship with Robert. You are in a relationship with April. We are not together. You really need to not concern yourself with what I am doing. Mind your own business. Focus on building your family with April." She turned back around and waited for the elevator doors to open.

Jackson lowered his head and whispered into her ear,"are you falling in love with him?"

She did not respond, she looked straight ahead.

"Maggie," he said with desperation in his voice, "please talk to me."

The elevator doors opened and Maggie walked out of the elevator into the ER.

Jackson walked out of the elevator with a scowl on his face and his hands clenched. He was so upset he couldn't think. April saw him and asked if he wanted to talk. He walked straight past her and walked to the ambulance bay to get some air.

"What's going on Avery? You look upset," Ben asked. "Are things OK with Kepner? I heard the two of you were seeing each other again."

"I can't believe she already slept with him. She doesn't even really know him."

"Avery, what are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about Maggie."

Ben looked at Jackson, "What about Maggie? Is she okay?"

As he went to respond to Ben, he saw Robert walking up.

"Ben I'll be right back. I'm gonna go say hi to my lady." Hey Jackson," he said as he entered the ER. Ben looked at Jackson and could sense the frustration.

"What is going on Jackson?"

"Maggie. I was seeing Maggie. Then I decided I wanted to try to make things work with April for Harriet. Now I am regretting my decision. I should have never let her go."

"Avery, are you sure you want to be with her or are you saying all of this because she is dating someone else. You do have a history…"

Before he could finish the sentence… Jackson raised his voice, "I was an idiot then, immature and selfish. If I knew what I knew now, I would not have said anything. I hurt a lot of people when I decided to proclaim my love for someone who decided to walk away from me twice in the end."

"Wow Avery!"

"Ben I can't take her being with anyone else. Watching her smile and be happy with someone else is so painful. I love her Ben. I really love her."

"When we make decisions we have to be able to live with the consequences Avery,'' Ben said as he looked at Jackson.

"I really messed up Ben…"

Jackson heard his phone go off. He got paged to the ER. "Ben, we will talk he said as he walked back into the ER."

"Alright Avery, Good Luck."

Jackson walked into the ER and saw Maggie talking to Robert. He had his hands on her hips and she was touching his cheek. Jackson looked away and walked into trauma room one.

(As always, thank you for Reading. Please show your support by leaving a review.)


	7. Closure

**Closure**

Jackson continued to have trouble suppressing his feelings for Maggie. She was constantly on his mind. He was getting distracted at work and when he spent time with April, Harriet was always there. He didn't want to be alone with her. He just didn't want to be around her.

He closed the door behind him and he walked them toward the bed. When they could no longer move, he laid her on the bed and pressed his lips against her. She let out a soft moan as she opens her mouth allowing his tongue to enter. His hands roamed all over her body as the kiss got deeper. He removed her top and began placing kisses all over her body. "Please keep going she moaned. Please don't stop," as he kissed the pulse point on her neck. His hands slid down behind her thighs causing her to lift it up. He loved the feel of her body against his body. Her touch, her kiss, it drove him crazy. "I've missed you so much Babe, I don't think you understand how long I've wanted to do this. All I do is think about you." he said as he placed kisses all over her face and neck. He removed her top and began to trace kisses all over her chest and breast. She whispered, "I want to be on top."

"Huh babe," he said in between kisses.

"I want to be on top."

"Anything you want babe," Jackson rolled them over and all of a sudden, he felt himself falling onto the floor. He opened his eyes and realized it was just a dream. "Not again, he mumbled as he got off the floor. I really need to talk to her, he thought as he made his way to the bathroom to get ready for work.

When he got to work he kept himself busy with consults and surgeries. He went to daycare to visit Harriet. He really missed her and wanted to spend time with her. On his way back from daycare, he walked passed Maggie's lab and saw her working on her rechargeable hearts. On his way to his lab, he had one of the nurses page cardio for a consult in one of the viewing rooms for Dr. Lee.

After receiving the page, Maggie made her way to the plastics viewing room. As she entered the room she found Jackson.

"Sorry Dr. Avery, I'm supposed to be meeting Dr. Lee. Maybe she meant my viewing room."

"No, you have the right viewing room. I had you paged."

"What do you need Dr. Avery?"

"I need to talk to you." He slowly walked toward her and grabbed her hand. With soulful eyes he looked down at her and said, "Maggie I am so sorry. I can't take this. I need us to be okay. I can't take you not talking to me."

"Jackson-"

"Let me finish please. I made a mistake, a big mistake. I did feel something that day with April in the storage room, it just wasn't what I thought. It wasn't love, it was nothing."

"What do you mean it was nothing Jackson. You broke up with me to try for Harriet. How is that nothing."

"I know. The feeling I got was, a feeling of freedom. Nothing holding me back from moving forward. Nothing keeping me from moving on with you."

Maggie looked away trying to hide her tears.

Maggie, "I am so sorry it took me this long to realize it was always you." He moved closer to her and lifted her head up so that he could see her face. He leaned in and grabbed her lips with his. The kiss was slow and very sensual. It was passionate and hot. She could feel herself melting into his embrace. She needed this, he needed this. As their lips connected, she felt the tears stream down her cheeks. He could feel them too… she pulled away and said, "Jackson we can't."

He wrapped his arms around her and dug his face into her neck. "Maggie, I don't want to be without you."

Maggie pulled away and said, "Jackson, you can't keep doing this to me. We can't keep doing this to each other. We are both in serious relationships and it is not fair to Robert or April."

"But Maggie-"

"Jackson I will not do to Robert and April what you guys did to Stephanie and Matthew. The Jackson I got to know and cared for wouldn't either. We had our chance and you know what, I am so thankful for you, I really am. I need you to just let me move on, and you should move on too." With tears in her eyes she left the viewing room.

...

Meredith was coming down the hall when she saw Maggie leave the viewing room with tears in her eyes. She called out to Maggie but Maggie held her hand up, " not right now, Mere."

Meredith walked into the viewing room and found Jackson pacing back and forth.

"Avery, what did you do to my sister?"

"Jackson covered his face with his hands and said, Grey not right now."

"Jackson what did you do? Maggie ran out of here crying and she won't tell me what's going on. So you need to tell me what you did."

"I told her that I had made a mistake. I told her she was that I felt nothing for April and that I wanted to be with her. I told her that I didn't want to be without her."

"Jackson-"

"Mere, I think about her all the time, she is even in my dreams. I want to be with her but I think I am too late."

"Jackson, you have to make up your mind. I know you care about my sister and deep down inside, behind all the hurt and pain, im sure she cares about you too. You just have to do this right. You can't be with April professing your feelings to her. You had your opportunity and you messed up and now you have to live with it until it comes again and that's a big IF."

"I'm going to check on Maggie. I will see you later Jackson," she said as she left the viewing room.

...

Jackson spent the rest of the day in his lab working on his spray on skin. He decided to avoid everyone...especially April. He just wanted to have a moment to himself in order to think about what it was that he wanted. After talking to Meredith he realized that he didn't want to be with April, he didn't love her. If he wanted to repair their relationship he would have done it a long time ago. I really need to end things with April he thought.

That night he went out to dinner with April and Harriet. They had a nice family dinner. Throughout the dinner Jackson appeared distracted. He was able to make small talk with April but she saw that something was wrong.

"Jackson, what's wrong?"

"Nothing April. Got a lot on my mind."

"You want to talk about it."

"Not really. Let's just enjoy our dinner and time with Harriet."

The ride home was silent. Jackson said nothing. Harriet was in the back asleep and April sat quietly in the passenger seat.

"April I'm going to spend the night in my apartment tonight. I'm going to drop you and Harriet off and go home."

"Ok," she said.

She turned her head and said, "Jackson, this isn't working huh? You have changed. You were laughing and smiling. You were happy. I was so excited about us getting back together because I felt like you were becoming the person I was supposed to marry. It's like you turned into someone else."

"You're right April. I was happy. I was able to express myself and not worry about being judged. I was a different person. That is who I was with Maggie. She brought that out of me."

"Wait? Maggie!"

"I was seeing Maggie and broke things off with her to be with you. I made a mistake. I should have chosen her. With you I am a different person. I have my defenses up. You hurt me! You put me through a lot of pain and heartache. I know I said I wanted to try again but this is not working. We are not working. We are not meant to be. I love you April and I really enjoy our friendship. I am just not in love with you. I am sorry if I hurt you and I rather we both be happy apart then miserable together. I want you to be happy. I want you to be with someone that brings out the best in you. That person is not me… I can never love you the way you want me to. I want to be with Maggie."

April looked at Jackson with tears in her eyes…

"Jackson I understand and I want you to be happy too. It was hard the first time around when we separated because I didn't get the closure. You strung me along and made me feel like things were going to work between us. Everything that happened in Montana between us, I thought that was our fresh start. Now I know. I can't force you to be with me if you don't want to be. I love you Jackson I always will, you gave me two beautiful children and I am forever grateful for that… Maybe I need to move on and find that person that brings out the best in me."

Jackson opened the back door and took Harriet out of the car. He gave her a bath, they both read her a story and then put her to bed. They walked into the living room and gave each other a hug. April thanked Jackson for always being there for both her and Harriet. She walked him to the front door.

"I am sorry April and thanks for understanding. I think this is the best decision we have ever made for Harriet."

(As always, thank you for Reading. Please show your support by leaving a review.)


	8. Game night

Game Night

Two weeks had gone by and Jackson and April were able to come up with a custody agreement they both were satisfied with. Things were much better. There was no more arguing and fighting. Their focus was on Harriet. Jackson was trying to figure out how to get Maggie to talk to him. He really missed her. Though she was with Robert, he wanted her in his life again. Even if it was as a friend. Maggie began to have a difficult time at home and work. She was snapping at everyone. She was bringing the thunder. Diane's birthday was approaching and she was falling apart. She cried excessively and when asked what was wrong, would say she was fine. She just didn't know how to express her feelings. She started to cancel dates with Robert and chose to be by herself.

Jackson noticed he hadn't seen Maggie around the hospital for a couple of days. Even though she avoided him, he would go into the gallery to watch her surgeries or he would walk by her lab to catch a glimpse of her. Just the sight of her was enough for him. It let him know that she was alright. He was concerned and thought he would ask Amelia or Meredith about her when he saw them.

While he was changing in the attendings lounge Amelia walked in.

"Hey Avery."

"How are you Shepard?"

"I'm fine. So happy to be out of the house. Maggie has been in a mood."

"What do you mean?"

"She has not come out of her bedroom for the last couple of days. Yesterday was her mother's birthday and she has been having a hard time. She really misses her. She cried for hours last night until she fell asleep. The only time I see her is when she has to shower, eat or use the bathroom. She looks so defeated. We have tried everything but she is just a mess. I can't see her like that, it breaks my heart."

"Where is Robert?"

"He is around but she doesn't want him around right now. She ignores his calls and will text him back saying she is busy and will get back to him. I'm surprised he is dealing with it so well, poor guy. The only person she could really tolerate was you. I don't know Avery. You might have to come help us out."

"She wants nothing to do with me right now. I don't even know how to get her to talk to me. Every time she sees me, she goes in the other direction."

"Well what did you expect? You hurt her. Seeing you with April has to be difficult for her. She is still grieving her mother and trying to be in a new relationship which requires her to open up. Maggie does not open up easily. She has difficulty expressing her feelings. We are used to it and we know how to deal with it. Robert however, would not understand. She hides so she does not have to explain it to him."

"Amelia, can you just look out for her please. I really want her to be okay."

"She is my sister, I will always have her back. She is always there for me when I need her. Even when we are fighting she will press pause to make sure I am okay. She has gotten me through plenty and Mere and I will get her through this."

Amelia finished changing into her street clothes. She grabbed her items and said, "Avery, I'll talk to you later. Headed home now, to prepare for game night. I would tell you to come but I don't think she would want to see you with April."

"April and I are not together. We decided it was best to just be friends," he said as he placed items into his bag.

"Okay then. You are welcome to come if you want to. Bring a game, bring a bottle, and bring yourself. We have food. See you later Jackson."

...

That evening...

Maggie was setting up the living room for game night. She decided to make an appearance since she invited Robert to come and meet her friends. Her phone buzzed… it was a message from Robert.

Hey beautiful, I'm not going to make it to game night tonight. I have to stay at the station. I really miss you and I promise I will make it up to you.-Robert

"Robert is not going to make it. She shouted toward the kitchen."

Meredith and Amelia both came out of the kitchen.

"Why Maggie", Amelia asked.

"He said he had to stay at the station. It's okay. I really don't want him to see me like this. I'm a mess. Guess I'm not coming either since it was for everyone to meet him." She grabbed a bottle of wine and retreated to her room.

"Mere" Amelia said.

"I did something."

"What did you do. Did you tell Robert not to come?"

"No, I invited Jackson." she said biting down on her finger. "I also told him how she has been acting."

"Is he bringing April?

"Nope! They broke up. They decided to just be friends."

"Okay, it's bad but not so bad. Amelia. Just don't tell Maggie."

They walked back into the kitchen to prepare for their guest.

…

An hour later...

The house filled up with laughter.

Owen, Alex, Jo, Altman, Korassick and other played games, drank and enjoyed the food. Everyone was having a great time. Maggie stayed up in her room looking at picture drinking wine.

The doorbell rang.

"Jackson", Meredith said as she opened the door, "welcome."

Jackson handed her bottles of wine. He hung up his coat and scanned the room. He greeted everyone but did not see Maggie.

"Hey Avery"

"Hey Karev."

"Where is Kepner? I thought you would have brought her."

"It's a long story. We decided to stay friends."

"Was it because of the red lipstick?"

"What red lipstick?" Meredith asked.

"The one he had on the night of Maggie's date with that fireman."

"Maggie had on red lipstick," Amelia added. "Ok Jackson!"

"So that's what happened," Meredith said. Looking over at Amelia with a smirk on her face.

Meredith pulled Jackson aside. Maggie is upstairs refusing to come down. Robert canceled on her and now she is in her room drowning herself in a bottle of wine. See if you can get her to come down.

"Mer she is not talking to me."

"Jackson please she is avoiding you because she still has feelings for you. The two of you need to figure it out."

"How about Robert. She is with Robert."

"What about him. She is not invested in that relationship. Just be there. That is what she needs right now."

Jackson grabbed some food and walked upstairs. He was familiar with the house given everybody lived there at one point during residency.

He knocked on the door. "Maggie, Maggie can I come in? Maggie please let me in…"

"The door is unlocked," let yourself in she replied.

When he opened the door, he found Maggie sitting on the floor surrounded by photographs of herself as a child. She had pictures of Diane and her family back in Boston. She was unrecognizable. Her eyes were swollen, red and full of tears. Her voice cracking due to crying all night and day. She was wearing a large t-shirt and boy shorts and her hair was in a messy bun. Jackson sat down on the floor next to her and looked at some of the pictures. He asked her about some of them and then he saw one of her and Diane. He asked her to tell him about the picture.

"That was when I got my job at the country club. My mom was so proud that she wanted to document my first day with a photo." Tears began to stream down her face and she became silent.

"Maggie, are you okay? What do you need? I know this is hard for you. I am here. Let me be here for you. Reaching for her hand… Babe!"

He got off the floor and took both of her hands and pulled her into his arms. As soon as she felt her body against his, she began to cry. He wrapped his arms around her and rubbed her back. They stayed like that for a while. He held her as she cried. He comforted her and allowed her to do what she needed to do.

"Maggie…do you want to go downstairs?"

"No, I don't want to. I rather stay here. You can go though."

"Maggie, I will do whatever you want me to do."

Maggie released her grip around his waist and removed his arms away from her hips. "You can leave my room. I just want to lay down." She walked to her bed and laid down. Jackson sat on the bed next to her. He stared at her trying to memorize every single one of her facial features. He ran his fingers through some of her loose curls and gently wiped the tears from her eyes. He laid next to her wrapping his arms around her waist. He leaned forward and whispered in her ear "I am here for you. She asked me to take care of you and I promised I would. I always keep my promises."

After a while they both fell asleep. Maggie laid nestled in Jackson's arms. His hands were around her waist and his face was buried in her hair.

A couple of hours went by and Jackson woke up. He was lying next to Maggie. She was facing him and laying on his chest. Jackson smiled as he looked at her. She was beautiful. He moved the curls away from her face so he could get a better view. He watched her as she slept. He gently touched her cheek and then ran his thumb gently across her lips. Oh how I miss these lips he thought.

He looked around the room. On the nightstand next to him, he saw a picture of Maggie and her mother. It was taken before Diane passed away. On the back was a quote. It said;

"I want you to fall in love and it has to be someone who's worthy. Find a decent man who loves you a little more than you love him. He needs to think he is lucky to have you and not the other way around. Never make yourself small for anyone. Be your own person and try wearing a little lipstick"- (Diane Pierce)"

Jackson turned the picture around. He looked at the picture and ran his finger across Maggie's face. He stared at her. Her smile was so bright. She was a ray of sunshine. How could I have walked away from this woman he thought. He placed it back on the nightstand. He turned his body toward Maggie allowing her to draw closer into his chest. He kissed her on the forehead and held her until he fell back asleep.

(As always, thank you for Reading. Please show your support by leaving a review.)


	9. About Last Night

About Last Night

The next morning, Maggie woke up and found Jackson lying next to her. She thought to herself. He stayed, he really stayed. He is so amazing and he put his feelings aside for me. Maybe he really does care about me... She got up and moved his hand from around her waist.

"Jackson, wake up."

Jackson did not move. She gently rubbed his cheek. "Jackson, wake up."

He opened his eyes and looked at her.

"Hi." Have you been here all night?"

"Yes. You were having a hard time and I didn't want to leave you. I wanted to make sure you were OK."

"You didn't have too. I don't want to cause any trouble for you."

"No don't worry about it. I made a promise and I never break my promises. Amelia was worried about you and she told me what was going on. I promised Diane I would be here for you no matter what Maggie. She figured I would do my best to take care of you and she was right. You needed me last night so I had to be here for you."

"You saw me at my worst. I was a mess last night. I was so mean to you. I have been so mean to you. I don't hate you Jackson, I am sorry if I made you think that."

Jackson smiled, "it's okay Maggie." He stood up and grabbed her hands. He pulled her in for a hug and kissed her on the cheek. Maggie pulled away from him and looked up at him with soft eyes. They gazed into each other's eyes. Her eyes began to fill up with water and a tear came streaming down. Jackson wiped her tears and just held her. She buried her face into his neck. Then her phone went off.

Maggie reached for her phone thinking it was a page from the hospital. Jackson didn't want to let go but he did." Do you have to go to the hospital?" He asked.

When she looked down at her phone, she saw it was a text message from Robert: "Hey Beautiful… Dinner tonight at my place. I will see you tonight."

"No. It's nothing. But I do need to get ready for work. Let me walk you out."

Maggie walked Jackson to the door. He grabbed her hand and looked at her with his piercing blue eyes. She smiled up at him and said, "thank you for last night. I appreciate you." She stood on her tippy toes and kissed him on the cheek.

With a smirk on his face he said, "I will always be here for you... even when you are being difficult." She let out a giggle.

"Did you two kiss and make-up," a voice from the kitchen yelled out.

"Meredith!" Maggie responded.

She rushed Jackson out the door and closed the door before he could say goodbye, and made her way to the kitchen.

"So what you two do last night? Meredith said as she sipped on her coffee."

"Nothing. We slept."

"You just slept?"

"Yes Mere! We slept."

"I have to go get ready for work," Maggie said as she exited the kitchen.

"You just slept huh," Meredith said with a smile on her face.

…

Later that day...

Jackson walked into the attendings lounge after a long day in the burn unit. He was exhausted. He laid down on the sofa and closed his eyes. Meredith and Amelia walked into the lounge talking about the events from the night before. They quieted down once they saw Jackson lying on the sofa.

Meredith leaned over and looked at Jackson, "you going to tell us what happened last night with Maggie? You were in her room all night?" Meredith said.

Jackson opened his eyes, "She didn't tell you?"

"She said you guys slept!"

"That's what we did. We slept. I held her all night and we just slept!"

Amelia looked at Meredith and with a tone of excitement, "that's big!"

"I know." Meredith said with amazement.

With a confused look he stared at the two of them. "What is so big about just sleeping."

"Jackson, Maggie doesn't just sleep with just anyone. When she was engaged to her ex-fiance, she would wait for him to fall asleep and then sneak off to the next room to sleep."

"She must really like you Avery... she feels safe with you." Amelia said.

Both Meredith and Amelia looked at Jackson.

"Jackson, does Maggie know you and April broke up?"

"No, Why?"

"Avery, you keep spewing how much you miss her and want to be with her. Why haven't you told her?" Meredith asked.

"Maybe he is waiting till she is standing at the altar to profess his love"… Amelia added.

"Whatever Shepard." Jackson said with a scowl on his face.

"Maggie is not into Robert you know. He is like another Dean. She comes home every night and complains about things that he does that annoy her. She thinks he is a good guy, but not for her. She is willing to try with him though because she is working on not being ALONE," Amelia said.

"Maybe she is too good for you or not good enough Jackson. You need to figure out what you want." Meredith said as her and Amelia walked out of the attendings lounge.

Jackson continued to lay on the sofa and he eventually dozed off. Maggie came into the attendings lounge and saw him. She quietly gathered her stuff to not disturb Jackson. While getting her stuff together, she heard a voice call her name.

"Maggie."

She turned to see Jackson looking at her. "Yes," she responded.

Looking at her, he whispered, "come here."

She walked over to Jackson and stood at a distance. He sat up and grabbed her hand and pulled her into his lap. Maggie did not protest. He held her while he whispered, "I miss you. I really miss you."

"I miss you too. Maybe we can be friends again."

"I don't want to just be friends with you Maggie. I want to be your Man."

"Jackson, I'm with Robert."

"You don't feel for him what you feel for me."

Looking away Maggie said, "How do you know?"

"I know," Jackson said. She turned her head to face him. "Maggie I made a mistake. I should have never let you go."

"What do you mean you made a mistake? You made a choice and you picked April."

Maggie, "I'm not with April anymore, we decided to just be friends. I couldn't be myself with her. I love who I am with you. With her it wasn't love it was obligation. I messed things up when I interrupted her wedding. I hurt a lot of people. Now that I think about it, I only married her because I felt I owed her. I took her virginity. It was just messy. I was so immature back then. I know now what I need. I need you. You make me want to be a better person. You challenged me and you made me look at life differently. When I realized I had feelings for you it came as a surprise a beautiful surprise. I can't be without you. I don't want to be without you."

"Jackson, I'm not going to be your second choice because things didn't work out between you and April. I can't do this Jackson..."

With tears in her eyes, she got up and walked away. I have to finish getting ready for my date with Robert.

Jackson approached her. "Maggie look at me"... she looked away. "Maggie please look at me."

"Jackson, I can't."

He grabbed her by the waist and pulled her close. He took his hand and lifted her head so she was looking directly at him. He looked into her eyes.

"Maggie I am so sorry I hurt you. I am so sorry I did not realize what I had until I lost it. I can't bear to be without you. I need you. Please Maggie give me a chance to show you how much you mean to me." Jackson leaned in and gently kissed her. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. She then pulled away and put her hands on his cheeks. "As much as I miss you I just can't Jackson… I can't."

She walked over to the door and opened it. Jackson looked at Maggie as she wiped the tears from her eyes," Maggie please don't go."

"Goodbye Jackson."

(As always, thank you for Reading. Please show your support by leaving a review.)


	10. Sweet Surrender

Sweet Surrender

That night, Maggie drove to Robert's house. She had so many different thoughts and feelings rushing through her. She was overwhelmed with so many different emotions. Maggie thought about everything Jackson said. He was right. He was 100% right. I was not being fair to him or Robert she thought. She got to Robert's apartment for their date. His apartment was dimly lit. He had candles lit and the table was set. He welcomed her in and handed her a glass of wine...

"You look beautiful as always."

"Thank you. So you made us dinner I see," she said with a smile on her face.

"Yes! I am so sorry about the other night. I really wanted to be there but I couldn't get away."

"It's okay." Maggie said as she tilted her head to the side looking away from Robert.

"No, it's not. You're mad. I know that I have been busy and our schedules conflict. I really miss you and want this to work. How can I make it up to you?"

"Robert, it's okay. Let's eat," she said as she walked to the table.

"So how was it? Did you have a good time without me?," Robert asked as he placed a plate of spaghetti and meatballs in front of her.

"Thank you,'' she said while looking down at her plate.

Maggie thought about her night with Jackson. She thought about how he put his feelings aside to take care of her. She also thought about how he held her all night and how safe she felt.

"It was okay. Mere and Amelia know how to throw a party."

"Next time, I will be there I promise." He said.

"Promise. He did keep his promise. As horrible as I have been to him, he kept his promise. He was there." She said.

"Huh," Robert responded. "Who kept their promise?"

"Robert I hate when people don't tell me things. I don't like secrets and I will not lie to you. This is not working. I can't drag you along. You are an amazing person but I can't be with you the way you want. I cannot give you all of me and that is not fair to you. I am so sorry but I have to go."

Wait Maggie, where are you going?

Maggie looked up at him and said, "I am so sorry Robert," grabbed her stuff and left his apartment.

…

Maggie got into her car and called Meredith in a panic.

"Meredith," she said with agitation in her voice.

"Hi Maggie," Meredith said. "What's wrong? Did something happen with Robert?"

"I am falling apart. Jackson has turned my world upside down and I just don't know what to do. Mer I can't get hurt again. I can't take it."

"Maggie, do you care about him?"

"I do, I really do. He hurt me Mere. When he ended things, I thought something was wrong with me. I felt like I wasn't good enough. He has been my rock, my comfort and my safe place. He was there after my mom died and he continued to be there. Now he is just unbearable. He won't leave me alone and I don't want him too but I just don't want to get hurt again."

"Maggie, go to him and tell him how you feel! Don't waste time fighting against it. He cares about you and you care about him. Do something about it!"

"Ok," she said with tears in her eyes.

After she hung up the phone she drove around. Then she realized she was in front of his apartment building. She parked her car and sat for a while. Thoughts about what she was going to say played over and over in her mind. How am I going to approach this with him. Do I really want this she thought? Am I ready for this? She got out of the car and made her way to the entrance. Anxiety and worry filled her, what if it's too late she thought? She got on the elevator and made her way up to the penthouse level. She knocked on the door and pulled at her fingers while waiting for him to come answer door but there was no answer. She continued to knock but still no answer. She called his phone but got no answer. So she left and made her way home.

...

When Maggie got home, she was ready to climb into bed and hide under her covers. As she pulled into the driveway, she saw Jackson's car parked in front of the house. He exited his car and walked up the driveway over to her car opening her door.

"Jackson, what are you doing here?"

"Maggie, please don't say anything, can you please come with me? He grabbed her hand and walked her to his car. The car ride was quiet and he held her hand the whole time. His touch was enough for her to feel safe and to know that she could trust him. Then, Jackson pulled up to the docks."

"What are we doing here Jackson?" He took her hand and walked over to his Yacht. There they were met by the Captain. He walked Maggie up the steps. She was amazed by what she saw. He spread rose petals everywhere and had candles lit. The room was filled with roses. He had music playing in the background. She froze, she didn't know what to say or do. She stopped to take everything in.

"You did all of this for me?" With her hand on her chest.

With a smile on his face, "I had a little help but yes."

Jackson, watched her as she walked around. He walked up to her and pressed up against her and kissed her on the shoulder, "I'll be right back." As the Yacht left the dock, Jackson appeared with two glasses and a bottle of wine.

"Maggie, I am tired of you running away from me. I want to be with you and now we are going to talk about this, we are going to figure this out. We are on a boat so there is no walking away or leaving me. I laid all my cards out on the table and now I need to know why we can't be together. I know you are with Robert but..."

Before he could finish, she said, "I broke up with him. Jackson I couldn't be with him knowing that my heart belonged to someone else."

"Who Maggie?"

"Jackson, this is not easy for me. I have never felt this way about anyone before. You hurt me. You really hurt me. When you ended things, I thought something was wrong with me. Like maybe you were seeing that I was not good enough for you. The funny thing is, you were the one that pursued me, I was fine having a crush. I wanted to believe that I had no feelings for you but they were there and they are still there, I can't turn them off."

"What are you saying Maggie?!"

"I'm saying I want to be with you. With you I can be myself. You care for me in a way I wouldn't expect any man to. You put up with my thunder, you seen me at my worst and you still stuck around. When my mother was dying, she told me to never settle. To fall in love. She told me he had to be worthy."

Jackson's eyes softened as he looked at Maggie. Then he said," Maggie, I love you so much! I am so lucky to have you in my life."

"Wait Jackson", she said gazing into his eyes. "You love me"

"Yes," he said. , "I love you, Maggie Pierce."

"Jackson we haven't-"

"Maggie, I did not realize how I felt about you until that day in the viewing room. We were friends first and it developed into something beautiful. I love you Maggie, this I know."

"She chose you. My mother chose you! That is why she gave you all that stuff. That is why she asked you to look out for me. She chose you."

Maggie walked toward Jackson and put her arms around him. He pulled her in close and they just held each other. He picked her up and walked over to the couch. He sat down and placed her on his lap. He whispered in her ear, "Maggie. I really truly did not mean to hurt you that was not my intention. I messed up and you are not my 2nd choice. You are my only choice. I want you, I only want you. I need you. If I have to spend the rest of my life proving to you how much you mean to me I will." Maggie put her head up and looked into his eyes.

"I love you Maggie Pierce, and if you give me a chance, I will show you how much!"

She wiped the tears from his eyes. She looked at him and said, "those eyes, hypnotizing yet calming," grabbed his cheeks and kissed him. It was a kiss filled with hope, passion and commitment. She missed him so much and oh his lips, how she craved them. She smiled which caused him to smile back. They rubbed noses as they gazed into each others eyes.

You by Jesse Powell began to play in the background.

He got up and pulled her up. He wrapped his arms around her and said, "dance with me."

As they danced, he looked into her brown eyes and sang the lyrics.

Next year lets call this day our anniversary

The day I put my heart in your hands

And said that it was yours to keep

From this moment on say

That you'll always be mine

'Cause girl when I'm alone with you

There's only one thing that's on my mind

And baby it's you

The way you walk, the way you talk

The way you say my name, your smile

The way you move me, the way you soothe me

The way you sleep softly through the night

Every morning you rise and open your eyes

I just wanna be there with you, baby

Just wanna be yours, from this day forth

Maggie smiled and caressed the back of his neck. She pulled his face close and gazed into his eyes as their foreheads touched.

Jackson pulled away and asked, "Are you hungry? You must be, because that was a quick date," as he winked.

"How do you know", she asked confused.

"Meredith called me after she got off the phone with you and told me. After I left the hospital, my plan was to go home and give up. Then I realized that if I wanted to be with you, I had to fight for you. I needed to not just tell you, I needed to show you."

She smiled as he talked. He grabbed her hand and kissed it. "So, you never answered my question. Are you hungry?"

I prepared dinner for us. He walked Maggie to another area where the table was set. He handed her a glass of wine and pulled her chair out allowing her to sit down. "I'll be right back." He walked in and put a plate in front of her. Here you go my Lady, "Spaghetti no meatballs."

She looked at Jackson as he sat across from her, "I love you too Jackson Avery." He reached across the table grabbed her hand and placed a kiss on the palm and smiled.

(As always, thank you for Reading. Please show your support by leaving a review.)


	11. Unsettled

Unsettled

Maggie woke up the next morning wrapped in Jackson's arms. She thought about the amazing night they had on the yacht and how he brought her to his place and made love to her all night. He was fast asleep and she couldn't help but to place kisses all over his chest. She moved up to his lips and as she kissed him, his eyes slowly opened.

"Good morning,'' she whispered.

He responded with a soft voice, "morning Babe," placing a kiss on her lips. "Are you really in my bed?"

"Yes, Jackson. I'm in your bed."

"I knew I would get you to stop running away from me."

Looking up at him, "How?"

"I just knew. I knew if I laid it all out, you would see that I was all in."

"And taking me out on a yacht in the middle of the ocean was what."

"It guaranteed that you had no choice but to stay," he said with a smirk on his face.

Maggie smiled and rolled her eyes.

"I had to because I could not lose you to another man."

"It took me being in a relationship for you to notice you wanted to be with me?"

"No, that is not what I am saying. I never realized how much you meant to me until I saw what life would be like without you."

"Oh," she said sarcastically.

"You also were not the woman I fell for. You turned into someone I didn't recognize after we broke up and I didn't like it."

"You mean when you broke up with me! What were you expecting Jackson. Were you expecting things to go back to normal. I don't think you understand how much you hurt me. I was determined to move on. I was going to find my big love. Interestingly enough, I thought I did when I met Robert. He had always shown interest in me but I never took him seriously. I was also seeing you at the time. Then when you broke up with me, and there was no reason to say no when he asked me out, I said Yes! It was just a date. I didn't expect things to become so serious. Things between Robert and I could have worked out. I could have fallen for him but I had feelings for you. Couldn't lie to him and string him along."

"Were you though? You were into Clive too until you found out he was married."

"Yes Jackson I was. Clive is no Robert. Robert is an honest man. He treated me like I was his world. What woman wouldn't want to be treated like a Queen. Be a man's first choice. I was everything to him. He would tell me, if I was ready, he would marry me. It was nice and it felt good to be wanted. I just couldn't give him all of me and that was not fair."

Sitting up in the bed, Jackson looked down at Maggie. "Maggie, watching you walk away from me and ignoring me was tough. Yes I caused it, I didn't think it was going to bother me that much. The whole time I was worried about you being hurt by my actions and in reality, I was the one hurting. The night of your date, was one of the hardest days. After I kissed you, I realized that I had made a mistake. I would of said something then but you were not interested in hearing anything from me. When we ran into you at my mother's house with him, I could feel my blood boiling. You were holding hands and flirting and all I could see was you slipping away. I even talked to my mom about it. I never include her in my love life. But then when I saw that hickey on your neck, that is when I truly felt it. It caused me pain, real pain. Watching you move on was torture and I never want to experience that ever again."

Maggie sat up, put her hands on his cheeks and pulled his lips into hers. "I don't think you need to worry about that anymore. I'm here with you and that is all that counts. Besides, my big feelings refused to go away and your antics didn't help either."

Maggie could see Jackson becoming annoyed, She leaned over and placed a kiss on his lips and said, "What do you want for breakfast?"

"How about we go out for breakfast. There is a diner right around the corner." He said.

"Okay," she said getting out of the bed and making her way to the bathroom.

…

When they got to the diner, Jackson opened the door for Maggie. When they walked in, Maggie noticed Robert sitting at the counter. He was drinking a cup of coffee. He turned as he heard the bell on the door chime. He looked in their direction causing Maggie to freeze. With a look of confusion on his face, he walked toward Maggie.

"Can we talk?"

"Sure, I'll be right back Jackson," as she walked out with Robert. Jackson sat in a booth as he watched them walk out.

"Maggie, what happened? I thought we were good?"

With her head down, "we were but you were more invested, I wasn't. I tried but just could not give you what you deserved. You are such a great guy and I want you to find someone that will give you their all."

"I want you though. You are the woman I want to be with", he reached over and grabbed her hand. "I fell head over heels in love with you Maggie."

"Robert, I don't know what to say. I am sorry if I hurt you. It wasn't planned. We just don't work. I don't want to be with you and I don't want to give you false hope." Pulling her hand away.

With a look of disappointment, He drew closer to her and gave her a hug and kissed her on the cheek. He whispered," never settle. You deserve the world Maggie," as he walked away.

Maggie stayed outside for a minute, thinking about what Robert said to her. When she looked up, she saw Jackson watching her through the window. She walked into the diner and sat across from him.

"What was that about?," he asked curiously.

"He just wanted to know what happened? Why I left so quickly last night. He told me he fell in love with me and I was the woman for him. He told me to never settle and that I deserve the world. He wants me to be happy and I want him to be happy."

Jackson appeared annoyed. "Maggie can we not talk about this right now." Maggie could hear the tension in his voice, so she didn't say another word.

Jackson was upset and it was clear. He didn't like the idea of Robert touching Maggie and when he kissed her on the cheek, he felt himself getting hot. He was pissed but he didn't want Maggie to see how upset he was. But he knew she could sense it.

"Why did you let him touch you Maggie?"

"What do you mean, he grabbed my hand. Was I supposed to snatch it away? He was my boyfriend for the past 7 months. We just broke up. You have nothing to worry about Jackson, I'm not interested in him. I'm here with you so let's enjoy our breakfast."

Jackson had a scowl on his face and couldn't let it go.

Maggie couldn't help but to tease him because he was being childish. Are you pouting Jackson? Am I sensing some jealousy? With a smirk on her face she reached over and stole some bacon from his plate and laughed it off.

He remained quiet throughout breakfast and on the walk back to his place, he grabbed her hand and stopped mid-way. "Are you sure you are over Robert?" She replied "I'm positive."

"In that case, Ms. Pierce, will you be my girlfriend?"

"Jackson, can I think about it." A confused look came across his face. She smiled up at him and placed a kiss on his lips, of course I'll be your girlfriend. I thought after last night that was clear."

"I just needed to hear you say it Babe," as he kissed her hand.

They walked back to Jackson's apartment and got ready for the day. Maggie planned to go home and spend time with her nieces and nephew. Jackson on the other hand was scheduled to work. He dropped her off at home and after making plans to have dinner later that night, he kissed her and said goodbye.

...

When Jackson got to the hospital he ran into Amelia on his way to the attendings lounge.

"I take it you had a great night last night," she said with a smirk on her face.

"I did and thank you for helping me out last minute."

Anytime Avery. As long as you treat her like the gem that she is, I will be nice." She then hit him on the chest and said, "don't ever break her heart again, Avery" and walked toward the ER.

Jackson walked into the attendings lounge and started changing. Before he could change into his scrubs, he was paged to the ER. There was a patient coming in with severe burns. Jackson changed and rushed to the ambulance bay. As the ambulance doors opened and the patient was pulled out, he noticed it was someone he knew. Someone he recognized. Is that Robert Sullivan?

(As always, thank you for Reading. Please show your support by leaving a review.)


	12. Bitter sweet

**Bitter Sweet**

Running up to the ambulance, Jackson asked again, "Is that Robert Sullivan?" The paramedic responded, "yes, it's Captain Sullivan."

Jackson froze, his mind was racing. He didn't know if he should text Maggie or wait until he had more information. As the gurney was wheeled into the ER, Meredith came running down. She was paged for a consult for a burn victim who had a severe injury to the abdomen. He got into a car accident and his car flipped over and caught on fire. He was in the car unconscious before he was pulled out of the vehicle by a good samaritan. Both Meredith and Jackson were worried due to the severity of the injuries. While in the trauma room, Robert stopped breathing and his heart stopped. They attempted to resuscitate him however, they could not bring him back, Jackson wanted to keep trying but Meredith pulled him away whispering, "He's gone Jackson." Time of death "1:06pm" she announced. Jackson walked out of the trauma room and headed to Bailey's office. He explained what had happened and asked to leave to go talk to Maggie.

...

Maggie was home spending time with Bailey, Ellis and Zola. She planned on taking them to the park and out for ice cream. She was excited to spend time with them and they were happy to be going out with their Auntie Maggie. Maggie grabbed snacks, toys, bubbles and a couple of balls and placed them into a bag. The kids were all sitting in the living room waiting for her. She turned on the TV to check the weather and the headline that came on the TV stopped her in her tracks. She gasps and collapsed onto the sofa.

"Captain Robert Sullivan was killed in a car accident."

All she could think about was their last interaction. He expressed wanting to be with her and she was not so pleasant when she told him she was not interested. A feeling of guilt came over her. Maggie froze, she didn't know what to do. She didn't know if she should reach out to his family, call the fire station or let it be. She felt numb. She did not know how to react to the news. Zola came running into the kitchen.

"Auntie Maggie are you okay?"

With a look of shock all over her face she responded, "yea sweetheart I am fine." Maggie turned to her holding both hands, "You ready to go?" Zola smiled and said, "Yes," with excitement in her voice.

Maggie packed up the car and placed each child in their car seat. On the ride to the park, Maggie wiped tears from her eyes. She played a movie for the kids to watch in order to distract them from seeing her crying. As the tears streamed down her face, Maggie could not understand why she was crying. Her and Robert had broken up and it was mutual, but why the tears. He wanted to be with her and she pushed him away because the feelings were not there. She was so direct and insensitive she thought. I could have been nicer. She drank some water and wiped her face as she turned into the parking lot.

When they arrived at the park, Maggie took all the toys out and played with the kids. Being able to spend that time with them allowed her to feel some joy and excitement. She played tag, pushed them on the swings and watched them play on the slide, monkey bars and merry go round. She prepared a small picnic and called them over to eat. While eating they played I spy with my little eye.

"Auntie Maggie, I am having a lot of fun. Thanks for bringing us to the park," Zola said smiling from ear to ear. Maggie placed her hand on her cheek and smiled back and said, "I love spending time with you guys. It is my job to spoil you." As she packed up lunch, she received a text from Jackson.

J: Hey babe, where are you?

M: I am at the park with the kids. I am about to take them to get ice cream.

J: I am getting off work early, is it okay if I come join you.

Not knowing how to respond, Maggie paused to think leaving him on pause...

M: Jackson hold on I have to grab Bailey give me one second.

Jackson knowing how Maggie can be at times responded back.

J: I'm on my way, Meredith told me where you are.

M: Jackson… Jackson?!

Jackson did not respond. Moments later, Jackson pulled up next to her car. Maggie was sitting on the park bench watching the kids play. Jackson sat next to her. He grabbed her hand and kissed it. He then kissed her on the cheek.

"How are you babe. How has your day with the kids been?"

Not turning to look at him, "it's been good. I really enjoyed my time with them today. It was a nice break from the chaos."

"Maggie, why aren't you looking at me? What's going on Maggie, talk to me."

Maggie turned to him with tears in her eyes. She collapsed into his arms. Jackson, "Robert died. He died."

"I know Maggie, Meredith and I were in the ER when he arrived. He had severe abdominal injuries and burns all over his body. Maggie he was in bad shape and it was clear to both me and Mere that he was gone. "

Maggie continued to hold on to Jackson until she heard Bailey yelling for her. Jackson not wanting the kids to see her upset got up and went to check on him. Maggie got up and ran over to them once she was able to collect her thoughts and her emotions. Her and Jackson ran around and played tag with them. Jackson had a permanent smile on his face while interacting with them. Maggie screamed out, "who is ready for ice cream? They all yelled, "Me" in their high pitched voices. Maggie packed the car up and Jackson helped her put the kids into the car. Jackson decided to go home and prepare dinner and asked Maggie to come over when she dropped the kids off. "I really want to be here for you. I want us to finish talking about this." He opened her car door and before getting into the car she placed a kiss on his lips and gave him a hug. She said "OK" and got into the car.

After the kids indulged in some in ice cream and candy, Maggie brought them home. Meredith was there waiting for her return. The kids came running in telling their mother about their day. "Auntie Maggie is the best Mama," Bailey said as he hugged his mother's leg. Then they all ran into their playroom and continued to play.

"They had lunch and I got them a treat. They will need dinner." Maggie grabbed her stuff to leave and head over to Jackson's place. Meredith stopped her.

"Maggie, I need to talk to you."

"Is it about Robert?"

"Yes"

"Meredith I already know, it was on the news."

"I figured but I need to tell you what happened."

Trying to avoid hearing the details, Maggie walked into the kitchen. Meredith followed her into the kitchen and said, "Maggie, he came into the ER barely breathing. Jackson and I were paged to the ER. When he was wheeled into the ER he had severe burns all over his body and a gaping wound to his abdomen. While completing our examination, he stopped breathing and his heart stopped beating. Maggie, we tried everything to get him back and just couldn't, he was too far gone. Jackson didn't want to give up. I had to pull him away in order to pronounce him dead. Maggie he was so distraught, he left work early."

"I know Meredith, he texted me and came to the park. He played with me and the kids as much as I was happy that he showed up, I really didn't want him there. I needed to process it and deal with it without him. I didn't want him to see me crying over my ex. Who does that Mer, cry over their ex with their boyfriend."

Meredith stared at Maggie with sadness in her eyes. She walked over to Maggie and gave her a hug allowing her to just get her feelings out. This was not easy for Meredith as she had a hard time dealing with strong feelings herself. She knew she needed to be here for Maggie. Maggie sobbed in her sister's arms. She talked about the guilt and how her last interaction with him was not the greatest.

Maggie's phone chimed. It was Jackson:

J: Maggie dinner is ready, are you on your way?

Maggie ignored the text and stayed in her sister's warm embrace.

After a while. Amelia came running into the house looking for Maggie. "Maggie are you okay? I heard what happened? How can I help?"

Amelia switched places with Meredith. Meredith got Maggie a cup of water and they all walked over to the sofa. Maggie's phone continued to chime.

J: Maggie, can you please respond? Are you okay. If I don't hear from you in the next 5 minutes, I'm coming over there.

...

Jackson was in his kitchen pacing back and forth wondering why Maggie was not responding to his text after telling him she would come over. He really wanted to talk to her about what happened with Robert. He wanted to help her process her feelings. He grabbed his keys and headed to her house.

Jackson pulled up to the house and saw Maggie's car in the driveway. He was a little annoyed and couldn't understand why she did not respond to his messages. He walked up to the door and knocked. Meredith opened the door and welcomed him in. When he walked in, he found Maggie laying on the sofa with Amelia. Her head was rested on her lap and Amelia playing with her hair. Jackson looked at Maggie and saw that her phone was in her hand. He was so confused and didn't know how to feel about what was happening. He was hoping that Maggie would process her feelings with him. He wanted her to open up to him.

Maggie made eye contact with Jackson. Her eyes were red from crying. She did not move off of Amelia's lap. Instead she closed her eyes as Amelia whispered, "Jackson is here?"

"I see him, I just can't talk to him right now. I just want my sisters."

Hearing this Jackson walked out of the house. Meredith followed him out.

"Mer, why is she pushing me away. Why does she do this to me?" He said annoyingly.

"Jackson, you have to be patient with Maggie. She is going through a lot. You have to let her do what she needs to do to get through this. We got her."

"I know you guys got her. When is she going to allow me to be there for her. When is she going to allow me in? She had her phone in her hand and couldn't even respond to my text messages."

"Jackson, her boyfriend just died."

"Ex-boyfriend Meredith." He said with a stern voice.

"Jackson, I know this is going to be difficult for you to understand. She really cared about Robert. They dated for 7 months. She may not have loved him. But...they formed a bond. They became friends. You have to allow her time to get through this however she wants to. Give her time and don't pressure her."

"Meredith I get it. I really do. I'm just tired of waiting. She always runs away when things get too intense. She will talk to me about anything but when it comes to how she is feeling, she clams up. If she wants this to work, she has to give me all of her, she has to talk to me. You guys are her sisters but you're also her safety net. When is she going to let me be that for her? He turned away from Meredith and walked down the driveway to his car."

Meredith walked back into the house and sat on the sofa next to Amelia and Maggie. They held and supported their sister until she was ready to go to bed. She didn't have to say a word, they understood everything she was feeling and going through.

…

The next day, Meredith heard the doorbell ringing. When she went down to check, the delivery guy handed her a bouquet of yellow roses and one single red rose. She looked at the card, it was addressed to Maggie. She called Maggie down and when she saw the flowers, she assumed it was from Jackson.

Maggie opened the card and was surprised by the message that was written on it.

Beautiful,

Thank you for allowing me to love you as long as you did. You were the sunshine in my dark days and you brought life back into my life. Thank you for your friendship, for being so caring and understanding. I will forever be grateful for the time we had. - Love Robert.

Tears began to stream down her face followed by a smile… I have to go. She handed the flowers to Meredith, put on her coat, grabbed her purse and ran out of the house…

"Wait Maggie," Meredith yelled, "you still have on your"…. she heard the door close… "your pajamas."

(As always, thank you for Reading. Please show your support by leaving a review.)


	13. The Talk

The Talk

Jackson was in the kitchen making breakfast. He thought about what happened last night with Maggie. He wondered if things were going to work out with her if she wasn't willing to talk to him about what was going on with her. As he sat down to eat, he heard someone banging on the door.

"Okay, I'm coming." He said, yelling toward the door.

When he opened the door, he was surprised to see Maggie. She stormed through the door and put her bag down. While taking off her coat, she looked at Jackson and said, "we need to talk."

"Maggie, I was ready to talk last night. You made it clear that you wanted your sisters. You told me we would talk and you went to your sisters. The thing that bothered me the most was when I walked in, I saw you with your cellphone in your hand. You ignored my text messages Maggie. You made me feel so useless. I was so embarrassed."

She walked toward him and said, "We need to talk Jackson. I don't care if you just listen but I need to get some things off my chest."

He looked down at her and with a stern yet calm voice said,"Okay Maggie, we can talk but you can't run. If it gets too intense, you stay here and you work it out with me until we figure it out."

"Okay Jackson." She said with some hesitation.

"Maggie?" Jackson said holding her shoulders, I'm serious. You can't run."

"Okay Jackson, I won't leave. But can I go to another room if I need a break or need space?"

"That's fine, as long as you don't leave this penthouse, you can do whatever you want."

They both walked over to the dining room table and sat across from each other. "So what do you want to talk about Maggie? What do you need to get off your chest?" He said sarcastically.

"Jackson I really need you to be serious right now. I really don't need you mocking me."

Jackson grabbed Maggie's hand, "I'm not mocking you. Just talk to me."

"Jackson, I don't think you understand how difficult it is for me to open up and talk about my feelings with anyone. When I do, it feels like my whole world is falling apart. My heart is wide open and I am exposed. I have no control over what happens. That is not a good feeling for me. I don't like feeling like that."

He looked at her and nodded his head and said, "uhmmm," encouraging her to continue.

"It's easy with my sisters because I don't have to say anything. There is no pressure. They understand me and understand how I process my thoughts and feelings. They don't ask. They know when I am ready I will let it out."

He pulled his hand away and said, "So are you feeling pressured by me asking you to talk about your feelings?"

"Yes, and I don't want you to take it as me being difficult. I just wish you would give me time. Yesterday I felt so much pressure from you. You came to the park without me saying it was okay. You came to Mer's without me responding to your text. You make me feel like I have to talk to you when you want me to. How about if I am not ready to talk to you at the moment?"

"I want to know though Maggie. I want to be there and I want to help. Especially with this whole Robert situation. Mer and I both worked on him. I felt awful when he died and I just don't want you to take it out on me."

Robert is not something I was ready to talk to you about. I really needed to process it with my sisters because I did not want to hurt you. I didn't want you to know the guilt I felt about him dying and the last thing I remember is me choosing you over him. I have no regrets Jackson, but the guilt is there."

"Did you choose wrong Maggie," he said looking straight into her eyes.

"I learned something very important being away from you and being in a relationship with Robert. I have to be able to be me and I shouldn't have to settle."

"So you settled Maggie? I am not good enough for you?" He said getting out of his seat. "What are you saying Maggie?" He walked into the kitchen to grab a glass and some juice from the fridge.

She followed him into the kitchen,"Jackson that is not what I am saying, please stop putting words into my mouth. I want to be with you Jackson I do. I just wonder if I am good enough for you. I have to know that I am enough. I am not going to be in a relationship with someone who can't accept me for who I am. I've realized that in order for this to work, you have to allow me to be myself. I have to think, you have to give me time to think. I have to trust that you will be okay with waiting."

"Maggie, I just want you to open up to me. I don't care how you do it. I just need you to communicate with me. Don't shut down and close me out."

"Jackson, in order for me to do that I have to trust you. I have to know that you are not going to leave me again."

"I understand Maggie and all I could do now is show you that you can trust me. I am always here, even when you don't need me I'm here," he said as he grabbed her arm and pulled her into his chest.

Maggie felt her body tensing up. She pulled away took a deep breath and expressed, "I need some fresh air." Jackson let her go and she walked out to the balcony.

Jackson watched her from the living room as she paced back and forth. He watched as she wiped tears from her eyes and pulled at her fingers. He wanted to go outside but he knew she wanted her space and he needed to respect that. He knew it was becoming too much for her but he didn't want it to go unresolved. He was determined to find out where their relationship was headed. He walked upstairs to shower and change out of his pajamas.

...

Maggie walked back in after 20 minutes and found that Jackson was not there. She heard the shower upstairs and was tempted to leave. She thought about the promise she made to him about not leaving and staying until they figured it out. She walked upstairs to his room and into the bathroom. She watched him from the doorway. Softly she said...

"Robert was my partner for 7 months, I wasn't in love with him but we shared something. He was my friend and he also taught me a lot. When he told me to never settle, it was his way of telling me I deserve the best. In my eyes, Jackson, you are the best. You're my best friend. Before we started seeing each other, we formed a bond that was so pure. That friendship is the foundation for our relationship now. It was never my intention to fall for Jackson Avery, but I did. I was willing to take that risk. As much as I ran away from you at the beginning, I stopped. I stopped running."

Jackson turned and saw her standing in the doorway.

"You did stop running, but now you just shut down. You don't talk. You hide and when I want to know how you are, you give me just enough. I need more Maggie."

Jackson noticed her eyes tearing up and he wanted to know her thoughts but he knew that it was hard for her because she didn't feel safe or secure in the relationship since he broke things off with her."

Looking at her through the shower glass, he said with a calm and soft voice, "Maggie, I took our relationship and friendship for granted. I thought that you would always be there. I thought you would have waited for me to figure things out with April. I've realized how unfair and selfish I was. I know that you are trying, all I'm asking is that you allow me in. I just want you to communicate with me, talk to me. Not about your day or about your sisters. I want to know what is going on with you how you are feeling. Am I asking for too much Maggie?"

"Jackson, I was so angry with you, I hated you so much and I felt so betrayed by you. You were so important to me, you helped me grieve and you got me through one of the hardest times in my life. It was so easy to let my guard down. I trusted you."

Jackson walked out of the shower, grabbed a towel and wrapped it around his waist. He walked toward Maggie,"You can trust me Babe, I am not going anywhere. My heart is with you. I don't want or need anyone else. Walking away from you is not an option for me… you are it for me. I just hope you feel the same way I do."

He grabbed her hand and walked into the bedroom with her. She sat on the bed while he dried off and got dressed.

"Jackson, I love you. I really love you. I really want to be with you and I do feel the same way. I just need to know if you can love me for who I am and not get disappointed when I am me."

"I can do that and more Maggie. I'm not with you just to date you. I want to build with you. That requires you to want to build with me. We have to be willing to compromise. We have to be flexible. Respect and love one another. I am willing Maggie to push less if you are willing to share more and give more of yourself."

Maggie thought about his words and laid on his bed staring up at the ceiling. Maggie got up and walked toward him, wrapped her arms around his shirtless torso and laid her head on his chest. She then got on her tippy toes, grabbed his face and kissed him passionately. She pulled away while still holding his face in her hand. "I think that we really need to talk things out and not bottle it up. I know that I have work to do and all I ask is that you be patient with me."

Jackson whispered back, "I'm okay with that," as his lips pressed against hers.

(As always, thank you for Reading. Please show your support by leaving a review.)


	14. Comfort

Maggie walked into the hospital dressed in all black. Her hair was pulled up in a bun and her makeup was light. She walked toward the nurses station where Meredith and Amelia were standing. She rested her head on Amelia's shoulder as Meredith rubbed her back.

"How are you Maggie? How was the funeral?" She said with a concerned voice.

"I'm okay, the funeral was nice. They gave him a nice send off. I am so happy I got to know him. He really was a great guys."

"I thought you were going to go home after," Amelia asked grabbing Maggie's hand.

"I was but I didn't want to be alone. I'm not working, I'm going to be in my lab working on my rechargeable hearts. Figured it would be a good distraction. "

I have to go change. I'll see you guys later she said as she grabbed her purse and walked to the elevator.

While on the elevator, she looked down at her phone and noticed she had a missed call from her father. She planned on calling him later. She knew he was just checking up on her because she has only lost one person ever in her life, her mother." Maggie walked out of the elevator and went into the attendings lounge. Jackson was in there already changing into his scrubs. when he saw Maggie a smile came across his face.

"Hi Babe, you look nice."

"Thank you." She responded softly. As she placed her bag into her locker.

He turned toward her and grabbed her shoulders, and asked, "How are you babe? How was the funeral?"

"It was nice. It was a funeral you know. He had a lot of people who cared about him, it was nice hearing how he reached so many people and about his work as a firefighter. Jackson, he did a lot and he has touched so many. His memories will live on."

How are you Maggie?

"I'm fine Jackson. I'm happy to see you." She said as she leaned in and kissed him on the cheek. Not wanting to push her, Jackson grabbed her by the waist and dug his face into her neck. She wrapped her arm around his neck and pulled him in tight. She whispered, "I love you Jackson," as she rubbed the back of his head. He placed a kiss on her neck and lifted his head to look at her. "I love you too Maggie."

Maggie turned around and asked, "can you unzip me please?"

Jackson reached for the zipper and unzipped Maggie's dress. He ran his fingers down her back and placed a kiss on the nap of her neck. He pushed up against her and hugged her from behind.

"Jackson," she said as she let out a laugh, "we can't not in here."

continuing to kiss her neck, he whispered in her ear, "how about we have dinner tonight and you stay at my place."

Turning to face him, "Okay, as she placed a kiss on his lips. We can finish this later."

Jackson's phone went off. He was being paged to the burn unit. Jackson grabbed Maggie and kissed her one more time on her neck and then her lips.

"I'll see you later babe. How does 7pm sound?"

"Okay Jackson. I'll see you tonight at 7pm. I love you"

"I love you too Babe." He said as he ran out the room.

…

Maggie stayed in her lab for a couple of hours and decided not to spend the whole afternoon there. It was 4 o'clock and she had some time before she had to meet Jackson at his place. She went home and changed into some work out clothes. She went to the park for a run and then ran a couple of errands.

Around 5:30pm she got a text from Jackson.

_J: Babe, came to see you in your lab, where are you?_

_M: I decided to leave a little early. Wanted to get a jog in to clear my mind before we have dinner tonight._

_J: Are you okay Babe?_

_M: Yea I'm fine. I promise. We are still on for 7pm right?_

_J: Yes we are. Can't wait to spend some time with you. I'll come pick you up okay?_

_M: Okay. See you in a few._

It was 6pm and Maggie needed to get home to prepare for her date with Jackson. When she got home, she walked into her room to start preparing for her date. When she opened the door she found a spaghetti strapped emerald green dress laid out on the bed with gold accessories and a pair of flat ankle strapped sandals. There was a note attached to the tag.

"Babe, I hope I got the right sizes. I love you- P.S. Pack a overnight bag!- Jackson"

That man loves the color green she thought as she grabbed her stuff to shower and start getting ready. Maggie put on the dress, shoes and accessories. She pulled her hair up into a curly ponytail with curly bangs, exposing her neck. She put on light makeup and finished it off with lip gloss. As she was packed her overnight bag she heard a knock on the door.

Meredith opened the door.

"Hey Jackson."

"Thanks for helping me out today. I really appreciate it."

"Anytime. Just so you know, I will come after you if you hurt her again." She said with a serious look on her face.

"Okay." Jackson responded.

Jackson walked up the steps into Maggie room. He found her packing her overnight bag. She had grabbed a pair of pajama, an outfit for tomorrow and bra and panty set. Hi babe are you ready? His eyes got wide open when he saw her. He lost his breath for a second. He walked toward her and pulling her into his arms. Placing a kiss on her neck and then her lips. "You look beautiful. I love it when you wear green."

Maggie gently moved away and said, "Thank you," twirled around to model the outfit he had purchased for her. "You did a great job babe. Fits perfectly."

"So are you ready?"

No, she said. Give me a few more minutes.

Jackson sat on her bed waiting for her to finish. He noticed she left her lingerie drawer open. He gazed into the drawer and notices a green teddy. Jackson grabbed teddy.

"Babe pack this too," he said with a smirk on his face."

Maggie walked over rolled her eyes and grabbed it from his hand. She closed the drawer and put the green teddy in her bag. "Anything for you babe," she said with a smile on her face.

Jackson grabbed Maggie's bag and her hand. They both said goodbye to Meredith as the exited.

When they got to the car, Jackson grabbed Maggie by the waist and kissed her passionately. His hands caressed her body and she placed her hands on his cheeks. She pulled away still holding his face, "so are we going to just stay here and make-out or are we going somewhere."

"You look and feel so good, I can't help myself." He said as he bit her neck. "Yes we are going somewhere. It's a surprise. You will see when I get there."

…

As they drove, Maggie noticed that they were driving toward the coast. Jackson grabbed her hand a kissed it. "Babe, you okay."

Maggie turned her head toward him looked at him and smiled. " I am so grateful for you. You always find a way to make me smile." Pulling his hand into her lap.

Jackson smiled and said, "you haven't seen anything yet."

Jackson drove into a private driveway. From a distance, Maggie could see the water. He parked the car and opened Maggie's door. Jackson grabbed her hand and walked onto a private beach. He removed a blanket from the truck of his car and a picnic basket. He grabbed maggie's hand and walked her down a path heading toward the beach. He bent down and took her sandals off and then he removed his shoes before they walked onto the sand.

Jackson set up a nice picnic for him and Maggie. After they ate, they took a stroll on the beach and watched the sun set.

Maggie, "I know it has been a rough couple of days. I wanted to do something to make you smile."

Jackson,"You always put a smile on my face. Even when I mad at you, just the sight of you makes me smile. You make my heart smile."

It started getting dark. They packed up their stuff and headed to Jackson's place. On the drive, Maggie fell asleep. When they got to his place, he rubbed her cheek with the back of his hand. "Babe, we're here." Maggie opened her eyes and he kissed her on her lips. "Wake up babe we are here."

Maggie got out of the car and grabbed her purse and overnight bag. Jackson took the picnic basket out of the back of the car and grabbed Maggie's overnight bag. As they walked into the apartment, Maggie put her purse down on the chair and grabbed her overnight bag and headed upstairs. Jackson went into the kitchen and emptied out the basket. He loaded the dishwasher. He turned the lights off and locked the door.

When he went into his bedroom. He heard the shower running and saw that Maggie had set out her pajamas on the bed, tank top and a pair of boyshorts. He saw a trail of clothes leading to the bathroom on the floor. He started to remove his clothes and joined her in the shower. "Hey you, I was waiting to see how long it would take for you to join me."

"Oh really," Jackson said grabbing her loofah from her hand. Lathering her body up. She took his wash clothed and did the same. She also grabbed some shampoo and washed his hair. He loved when she washed his hair.

After their shower, they both got out, brushed their teeth and went into the bedroom. As she applied lotion Jackson watched her from the doorway.

"Babe, I think it's time."

"Time for what Jackson?"

"I think it's time I introduce you to Harriet as my girlfriend."

"Are you sure Jackson. That is kind of big and we are now getting back on track."

"I'm positive. I want her to know the other Lady in Daddy's life. It's time."

"Okay." She said softly as she continued to moisturize her skin.

Jackson smiled as he walked over and grabbed the lotion from her hand. He put some on his hand and started rubbing her shoulders. He reached in front of her released her towel allowing it to fall onto the floor. He kissed her shoulder and then her neck. He nibbled on her ear and asked, "Are we going to finish what we started earlier." Maggie let out a giggle as he tossed her onto the bed...


	15. One day at a time

He had her pinned up against the wall with her legs wrapped around his waist. She bit down on his bottom lip and let out a loud moan, "Oh Jackson, I'm about to…." As she reached her climax her head tilted back. Jackson kissed her neck and kept the rhythm until he released into her collapsing into her chest. He kissed her on the neck and released her legs from around his waist.

"Maggie, you are so loud," he whispered into her ear. "Are you trying to get us caught out. Remember how my mom and Richard caught us the last time, I'm not trying to have that happen again."

"It's not my fault babe, you just have that effect on me." Jackson smiled as he pulled up his pants.

"I love these moments. I really needed that. My day has been going non-stop and just being able to have 20 minutes with you is enough to make me forget about my stress."

"So I'm your stress reliever?"she said as she put on her lab coat.

"More like my drug," he said. "I am addicted to you Maggie Pierce."

As they walked out of the storage closet, Maggie asked, "Are we still having dinner tonight with Harriet?"

"Yes," Jackson said. "I'm having coffee with April in a few minutes just to let her know that I will be introducing Harriet to you. I'm hoping she won't give me a hard time."

"Why would she give you a hard time. We have been cordial toward one another."

"Yea, but now that things are really serious between us, I just don't want her to create any problems that's all. "

"Okay Jackson." She kissed him on the lips and whispered, "I love you."

"I love you too and I will see you tonight at my place." He Kissed her on the forehead and watched her walk on to the elevator.

Jackson met April at the coffee cart before going to get Harriet from daycare. They greeted each other and sat down on one of the benches.

"April I wanted to talk to you about something."

"Are you ok Jackson. Is everything ok?"

"Yes, everything is fine. I am trying to find a way to say this to you were it won't change things. We have been an amazing job co-parenting and being friends. I really want us to remain as such."

"What is it Jackson. Just spill it."

"So things have been going well between Maggie and I and we have been spending a lot of time together. I really love her. I want to introduce her to Harriet as my girlfriend."

April's eyes began to tear up. "Wait so you want Harriet to meet Maggie now? "

"Yes. Maggie is a huge part of my life and it's time for Harriet to meet her."

"Jackson, I'm not ready for that yet."

"April, it's not about what you are ready for. It's about Harriet meeting my girlfriend. I really thought that we would be able to discuss this as adults."

"It's not that Jackson. I just don't want you introducing her to someone who might not be around for a long time."

"What do you mean around for a long time? April, Maggie is my future. I wouldn't want Harriet to meet her if things weren't serious between us. I love Maggie so much. She is a good person and she makes me happy. "

"Okay Jackson. Whatever. Do what you want."

"April, I really want us to continue to be friends and co-parent Harriet together. I am telling you this because you are Harriet's mother. "

April got up and walked away with a scowl on her face. Jackson went to daycare and picked Harriet. He swung by the grocery store to pick up some items for dinner and headed home.

...

Jackson pulled up to his parking spot at his building. As he walked to the entrance, Maggie was waiting for him.

"Hey babe, How long have you been waiting?"

"Not long. Maybe five minutes."

Jackson grabbed Harriet and the items he picked up from grocery store. He asked Magge to grab Harriet's bag out of the car. When they walked into Jackson's apartment, he sat on the sofa and sat Harriet down on his lap and asked Maggie to come sit next to him.

"Harriet, I know you have seen this beautiful lady before at the hospital with daddy. Her name is Maggie. She is daddy's girlfriend. She is going to be spending some time here with us sometimes. HOw do you feel about that."

Maggie reached out her hand and said, "Hello Miss Harriet," as she shook her hand.

Harriet climbed off of Jackson's lap and crawled onto Maggie's. Her little hands reached for Maggie's face. She then rested her face on Maggie's chest. Jackson was surprised. She did not cry or shy away from Maggie. He leaned over and whispered into Maggie's ear, "looks like I might have some competition." Jackson smiled as he watched Harriet's interactions with Maggie.

She moved away from Maggie's chest looked up and her and said, "Maggie play with Harriet," she said as she jumped off of Maggie's lap and grabbed her hand.

Jackson observed as Harriet walked Maggie into her playroom.

"I'll call you when dinner is ready," he said as she disappeared into the other room.

When dinner was done, Jackson walked into Harriet's playroom to see what they were up too. Maggie and Harriet were on the floor having a tea party. Both of his ladies had pink boas around their necks and gold princess crowns on their heads. Harriet was smiling from ear to ear. Jackson knew that Maggie was good with kids, he just didn't know how good. Harriet was beaming and Maggie was was willing to get on the floor and play with her. From the door he said,"Who is hungry? Dinner is ready!"

Harriet's little hand went up, "I'm hungry. Come on Maggie." Harriet grabbed Maggie's hand and dragged her to the dining room.

When Jackson went to help Harriet, she said, "no daddy, Maggie do it."

"Okay. Fine then," he said with some annoyance. Maggie smiled and cut Harriet's chicken and veggies.

After dinner Maggie did the dishes so that Jackson could get Harriet ready for bed. Before going upstairs, Jackson put his arms around Maggie while she washed the dishes. He dug his face into her hair breathing her in. Then he felt a little hand grab his pants. He looked down and saw Harriet looking up at him. "My Maggie daddy," she said with an attitude.

Maggie laughed. "She is so cute."

"Until she tries to steal my girlfriend." He said with a smirk on his face.

Jackson picked her up and kissed her on the cheek and said, "she was mine first but I don't mind sharing," as he walked up the stairs to get her ready for bed. "Bye Maggie," she said as she waved her little hand.

Jackson came downstairs after putting Harriet down. Maggie cleaned up the kitchen and the dining table. She was seated on the sofa waiting for him to come down.

"Well that went better than I thought it would." he said and he came down the stairs.

"It really did. I really had a great time with her. She so precious."

Jackson watched her as she tugged on her fingers.

"What's wrong Maggie, I feel like something is bothering you."

"What happens if we break up. I don't want to build a relationship with and then have to lose it when we break up. I know that I will fall in love with her. I just don't want to break her heart if things don't work out."

"Babe, we are not going to break up. At least I am not planning to break up with you. Breaking up is not an option. I love you too much to let you walk away. The only way that would happen, is if you break up with me."

Maggie kissed him and rubbed her nose against his, "It's not an option."

Jackson turned on the game and pulled Maggie into his lap. She rested her head on his shoulder as wrapped his arms around her. "Babe, I have something for you but I don't want it to scare you." He said nervously.

"What is it Jackson?"

Reaching his hands into his pocket, he pulled out a box and handed it to her. "Maggie, don't freak out please. It's only a gesture. I am hoping that you will use it."

"Maggie opened the box and found a key, she stared at it and said nothing."

"Maggie, I am not asking you to move in yet. I don't want you to have to wait for me or call me to come open the door. I just want you to have a key to my place so that you can come and go as you please. So please think about it."

"Ok." She said softly. "your not asking me to move in right?"

"I am not asking you to move in."

Maggie kissed him on the cheek and said "Ok. It's just a key."

"You should also think about keeping some of your clothes here. That way when you spend the night you don't have to bring an overnight bag."

"Maggie dug her face into his chest and said, one day at a time Jackson. Let me get used to the idea of having the key."

Jackson laughed and wrapped his arms around her.

...

It was getting late and Maggie had an early surgery. She gave Jackson a kiss and grabbed her jacket and bag. Jackson pulled her toward him, "where do you think your going?"

"I have to go home and get some rest. If I stay here I will not get rest because you don't know what that means. I also have an early surgery that I need to prep for. I promise I am not running."

Jackson walked Maggie to the door and kissed her goodnight. "Bye babe, please text me when you get home."

When Maggie got home, she texted Jackson...

M: Baby, I made it home. I love you and I miss you already. See you tomorrow.

J: Goodnight Beautiful. I love you too.


	16. It's complicated

A few months had gone by and Maggie was spending more time with Jackson and Harriet. Though she still spent time at Meredith's, she spent a majority of her time at Jackson's apartment. She enjoyed waking up in his arms. Nights were even better. Feeling his hand all over her. Even when she begged him to let her sleep deep down inside she loved feeling his touch and enjoyed their time together.

Maggie woke up at 6am trying not to wake Jackson up. She jumped in the shower and got ready for work. She knew that this morning would be a little busy because both had early surgeries. She went downstairs to prepare and pack their lunches. She also wanted to study the chart for her surgery with Dr. Bailey. As she read the patient record she prepared waffles batter and cut up some strawberries.

Jackson reached out his arm to pull Maggie toward him but she wasn't there. He noticed the light on downstairs so he got up and walked downstairs. He saw Maggie leaned over the counter looking at her laptop. She also had a knife in her hands cutting strawberries. She was dressed and ready for the work day. "Babe," he whispered as he rubbed his eyes. Why are you up and already dressed? I thought we were going into work together today. Were you going to sneak out of here?"

"No I was not going to sneak out. I had to review the patient chart for my surgery with Dr. Bailey this morning. Figured I would make breakfast and pack our lunches that way, you had one less thing to do before we head to the hospital. You have been caring for Harriet the last couple of weeks and I just wanted to help make things a little easier for you when I can. She walked toward him and put her hands on his cheek. Go back to bed babe, you don't have to be up for another half an hour," and kissed him on the cheek. Jackson turned around and went back to bed. Maggie continued to study the chart and prepare breakfast.

…

It was now 7:30am. Maggie was in the kitchen packing lunches. Jackson was upstairs with Harriet getting her ready for her day. When they came downstairs, Harriet ran and grabbed Maggie's leg. Maggie bent down and picked her up, "Good morning Princess." and gave her a kiss on the cheek as Harriet wrapped her little arms around Maggie's neck. "Good morning Maggie," She said with excitement.

As she held Harriet with one hand, she handed Jackson a cup of coffee with the other. She explained, "I packed some grapes, celery sticks, yogurt, turkey sandwich (no crust) a bottle of water and milk for Harriet. Is that enough?"

"Babe that is more than enough." He walked over and kissed her on the forehead. "Good morning Beautiful."

"Good morning Babe," she said as she pointed to the dining room table. "I made waffles and cut up some strawberries for the two of you. Go eat so we can be out of here on time for work."

Jackson grabbed Harriet and put her in her high chair. As he ate, he fed her. "Yummy daddy," she said as she stuffed the strawberries into her mouth.

"Babe, are you not going to eat?"

"Yea, let me finish cleaning up and I'll be right over," she said putting the turkey and cheese back into the fridge. She wiped down the counter and closed their lunch bags. Maggie grabbed some milk for Harriet and the orange juice and sat at the table next to Harriet's high chair. Harriet took a strawberry from her bowl and put it in Maggie's mouth. "Thank you sweetie," she said as she chewed. They ate breakfast and then headed to the hospital.

"Thanks Babe for getting everything together this morning. You are amazing." He leaned over and kissed her, "I love you Maggie." From the backseat Harriet yelled, "I love Maggie." Catching both Maggie and Jackson off guard. Maggie loved Harriet but never said it. She didn't want to offend April. Maggie looked at Jackson not knowing how to respond. Jackson said, "We both love Maggie. She is the best." Harriet cheered "Yaaaaay" loudly in the backseat from her car seat. Jackson did not know how to respond to Maggie's facial expression and silence.

…

When they got to the hospital Maggie grabbed Harriet's bag out of the car. Jackson reached in and grabbed Harriet. They held hands as they walked into the hospital together. Maggie handed Jackson Harriet's bag and kissed Harriet, "have a good day sweet girl." She then leaned in and kissed Jackson. Before she could pull away he whispered, "I'll find you after your surgery so we can talk about what happened in the car okay." She said "ok" as she walked toward the elevator. Jackson went to drop Harriet off at daycare and on his way he bumped into April.

"Hey Jackson, how is my Lady bug?" she said as she reached for Harriet.

Harriet turned away and tucked her head into her father's neck. Jackson attempted to hand Harriet to her mother but she refused and started to cry.

"Harriet come to Mama,"

"No mama. I want daddy." She said as she wrapped her arms around Jackson's neck turning away from April.

"What is wrong with her Jackson, what happen to her?"

"Nothing April, she just doesn't want you right now."

While Jackson was talking to April, Maggie ran up to him handing Harriet her stuffed giraffe.

"Maggie," Harriet said as she reached for her.

Maggie kissed her hand and said "I will see you later sweet girl."

"Hey April, wish I could talk but I have to go. Dr. Bailey is waiting for me in the OR." She said as she ran down the hall.

April looked at Jackson with a scowl on her face, "why did she want Maggie and not me. What did you guys do?"

April grabbed Harriet out of Jackson's arms and grabbed her bag and brought her into the nursery. Jackson could hear Harriet calling for him. She eventually calmed down when the daycare teacher grabbed her from April.

April walked out, "This is why I was hesitant to have you introduce her to Maggie. Maggie is not her mother. I am."

"She just saw Maggie this morning, of course she is going to want her. April, she is not replacing you." Jackson said as he walked toward the elevator. Jackson thought about what Harriet said to Maggie this morning. He didn't want to tell April because he knew that it would upset her. Jackson said, "April you're her mom, Maggie is not replacing you. I will tell you this, Maggie is going to be around her so get used to it."Jackson got on the elevator as April watched him with a scowl on her face.

…

After her surgery, Maggie washed her hands and made her way to attendings lounge. Maggie laid on the sofa and closed her eyes. Meredith came in and saw her lying down. She took the back of her hand and placed it on her forehead. Maggie swatted her hand away.

"What's wrong Maggie?"

"Just got out of a long surgery with Alex. I'm really tired."

'Maggie that is not it. Something is bothering you and it is written all over your face."

Before Maggie could respond, Jackson walked in. "Hey Grey," he said as he sat on the sofa next to Maggie.

"How are you doing Avery? What you do to my sister? She is in a mood."

"Nothing." He looked over at Maggie.

Meredith responded, "She is in a mood so you might want to find out what's bothering her. Before leaving the room she asked, "Maggie will you be home later? We were going to do a game night with the kids."

Looking at Meredith, "Of course. Bailey and I have to keep our winners streak going."

Meredith laughed as she left the room, "you and your nephew are so competitive. Jackson you should come too, bring Harriet."

…

Jackson moved closer to Maggie and rested his head on her chest, burying his face into her neck. "Can we talk about what happened in the car today? Harriet said she loved you and you said nothing. What happen?"

"This morning caught me off guard Jackson. Do you think she understood what she was saying?"

"Of course she did Maggie. Maggie you are amazing. I love the way you are with Harriet. She gravitated toward you with no problem and she has adjusted so well. Do you not feel the same way? He said as he sat up and looked at her."

"Jackson, I love Harriet. I just don't want April being upset about it."

"Well," Jackson said as he grabbed Maggie's hand. "You know how Harriet has been spending more time with us until April figures some stuff out?"

"Yes"…

"Well this morning when I went to drop her off at daycare, she refused to go to April. She held on to me tightly. When April took her she cried."

"What do you mean she refused to go to April?"

"She refused to go and April got upset. Then when you came running with the giraffe and handed it to her, April got upset because she reached for you. That really upset her."

"See Jackson that is what I didn't want to happen. Now she is going to think I am trying to take her place."

"Maggie you are part of my life and I am Harriet's father. Therefore you will be around her. April can't do anything about that. I am sure when she starts dating, I am going to have to adjust to her being around April's significant other. It's an adjustment for us all."

"Okay Babe." Maggie said as she got up. Where are you going? He asked curiously.

"I am exhausted, I want to get some rest before my next surgery. Which is a 2pm."

"Huh," he said with a smile on his face. "Isn't that a coincidence, my next surgery isn't till 2pm either." He said as he grabbed be hand leading her to the hall.

"Jackson, I meant it when I say rest. "

He said, "Okay rest…" with a smirk on his face. Pushing her into the on-call room. He closed the door behind him and locked it.

Maggie squinting her eyes, "Jackson?"

"Maggie you owe me from this morning. I was craving your touch this morning but you were not in the bed. "

Maggie smiled, "Oh yea, what were you planning to do?" Well you know he said as he removed her scrub top and kissed her shoulders and neck. He then said, "It is better for me to show you then to tell you." She pushed him onto the bed and straddled him whispering into his ear, "Show me then?"

All of a sudden they heard someone clearing their throat and shouted, "Really". When they looked up it was April. "Oh my God April," Maggie said, "we are so sorry." Jackson had a look of shock on his face and buried his face into Maggie chest. April got off the top bunk and stormed out the door. Maggie and Jackson looked at each out and laughed as Jackson laid back pulling Maggie with him they continued to laugh. Maggie got up, locked the door and climbed on top of Jackson and whispered, "You ready to show me now?"

….

April left the on-call room with tears in her eyes. She was not having a good day. This morning her daughter didn't want anything to do with her. She just saw her ex-husband with his new girlfriend and she was lonely, more like depressed. She had given up hope. She walked to the chapel and sat down on one of the pews. She couldn't pray. She sat a stared. Then she heard the door open. It was Matthew. He knelt down and began to pray. Once he was done she asked, "Is everything okay." He looked in her direction with tears in his eyes, "first Karen and now Ruby." He told her that Ruby was sick and that he thought it was her heart. She walked over and sat next to him, "It's going to be okay. Have faith that He will make a way."

April got up after a while and went to check on Ruby. She encouraged Owen to do other tests which he agreed. Later he came back and confirmed it wasn't her heart but Pyloric stenosis and that Ruby was going to be alright. April was happy that Ruby was alright and Matthew was not going to lose someone else.

April was in the ER nurses station when Matthew came looking for her. "April, thank you so much. Dr. Hunt told me what you did and I can't that you enough," he said as he pulled her in for a hug. "I know that things ended terribly between us but I want you to know that I forgive you for everything." April smiled and said, "I am sorry Matthew and hopefully one day, we can be friends." "Maybe," Matthew smiled back at April as he made his way back to Ruby.

Arizona came over and sat next to April. "What happened earlier, why were you crying?, while rubbing her back.

"Oh that, I was in one of the on-call rooms and Maggie and Jackson were about to yea… as she put her face into the palms of her hands. Arizona he loves her. He really loves her, you can see it all over his face. I think Harriet loves her too. She is such a good person and I saw her with Harriet today it was amazing."

Arizona stayed quiet and listened to April.

"It was difficult but then something happened that just made things seem a little brighter. I went to the chapel to pray and I couldn't because I was so upset. Matthew came in and I watched him get on his knees and pray. Arizona, I walked away from the person I was supposed to be with. I am so thankful for Samuel and Harriet and my relationship with Jackson, but I really think I was supposed to be with Matthew.

"Too soon April. Let him grieve his wife." She said with a comforting smile.

I am not saying I am going to jump his bones. I think we have to work on being friends again.

Arizona gave her hug and said, "Focus of taking care of you. Focus on finding April, Harriet's mother and friend.

That night…

Maggie, Jackson and Harriet attended game night at Meredith's. They had a great time. Bailey and Maggie kept their winning streak. When it was time to leave, Maggie went upstairs to grab some clothes. Jackson followed her upstairs and sat on the bed. "Maggie," he said, "Now that you have been at my place consistently for the last couple of months, I really want you to move in. I want you to come and live with me. "

Jackson, "I told you when I am ready, I will tell you."

Maggie, "I want us to go to the next step and you are holding us back. I get that you have to think about things but I think I have taken enough baby steps with you and I love how you are with Harriet and how you take care of us. I just want it to be permanent. Please come and live with me."

Jackson, "why can't we just continue to do it like this? I am with you all the time, no need to change it."

"Because, I love you Maggie, I don't want to take it for granted, I don't wasn't to miss it."

Jackson, "I can't give you an answer right. Maybe I should stay here tonight."

Jackson got up and walked out and Maggie followed him. "Jackson wait. Can you give me time to think about it?"

"No Maggie, I'm tired of waiting. I'm tired of feeling rejected, I am tired of giving you my all and getting half in return. I'm tired Maggie." Jackson grabbed Harriet and walked out.


	17. Crazy about you

She woke up at 5:45am before the alarm clock. She opened her eyes and for a moment did not recognize where she was. Then she remembered, they argued last night. He made it clear he wanted more and he wanted it now. She could not make such a huge commitment without thinking about it first. As she tossed and turned in her bed, she couldn't stop thinking of what he said. '_I'm tired of waiting. I'm tired of feeling rejected, I am tired of giving you my all and getting half in return. I'm tired Maggie.' _She thought, how am I only giving him half? She loved Jackson. She also knew he loved her. Last night she saw a different side to Jackson, he has always been so patient and understanding but he went from 0 to 100 in an instant and just left. I just asked him for time to think about it, she said out loud.

She got up and decided to go for a run. She got ready, put her headphones in and headed out the door. Maggie enjoyed caring for her body. She enjoyed running through Seattle looking at the sights. It was a great distraction to get her out of her head and to focus on the here and now. As she ran, the music played in her ear. She was playing India Arie's latest album Worthy. As the music played she zoned out, it was like she was somewhere else. Then her favorite song "Crazy" came on. She loved that song. It was like a testament of her love for Jackson.

_Sometimes, you make me so crazy_

_But I am still your baby_

_No, I ain't goin' nowhere_

_No, I'm gonna be right here_

_Because I'm crazy over you_

_You are a complete surprise_

_You're not, you're not the type of life that I_

_Thought I would ever choose_

_Now I can't see my life without you_

_I'm crazy over you_

_I'm crazy over you_

She smiled as she sang along to the track. She thought about how his impulsivity drove her crazy. She also thought about how he was never afraid to go after what he wanted. Unlike her… it's not that she was afraid, she wanted to make sure it would not fall apart. She had to have a plan…

_I don't know what I'm doing_

_But I'm gonna keep on moving_

_'Cause I believe in the power of us_

_I believe in this warm_

_Who knows where this art will go_

_I've got my fears for sure_

_But I'm giving you all I've got_

_I'm giving you a home in my heart_

_Ooh_

_I'm crazy over you_

_Sometimes you make no sense at all_

_But somehow I know just who you are_

_And I'm only falling deeper in love, deeper into us_

_Crazy over you_

_I'm crazy over you_

She thought about her fears and how they often held her back. She was willing to move in with Jackson, she just needed to talk about it. She wanted him to hear her thoughts and concerns. She wanted to know that once they lived together and he saw her true self… he wouldn't leave. He wouldn't get irritated or frustrated and ask her to leave. All she knew was that she loved this man, she was crazy about this man and did not want to lose this man. She grabbed her phone and looked at the time… it was 6:55am. She needed to get back home to get ready for day.

She was about to turn around and head back home when she noticed someone sitting on the ground holding their chest. She ran over to check on them to make sure they were okay.

"Sir, are you okay?"

The man looked like he was in his late 30's. He was a white male with dark brown hair and blue eyes with an athletic built. Maggie told him to lay down so she could check him.

"Sir, my name is Maggie Pierce. I am the Chief of Cardio thoracic surgery at Grey Sloan Memorial. Can you tell me your name and what you are feeling."

With his hands on his chest he said, "My name is Jonathan Gibson. I feel pressure, tightness, pain, and a aching sensation in my chest. Maggie checked his pulse and it was irregular. She also noticed he was having difficulty breathing. Maggie called 911 and told them where she was. Maggie rode to the Hospital with Jonathan. When he was brought into the ER, she was able to figure out what was going on. He was having a heart attack. Deluca assisted with the patient. She told him to prep the patient for surgery as she went and changed into scrubs. She performed the surgery and Jonathan was brought to ICU.

Maggie was in the Cardio wing when she got paged to Jonathan's room. When she walked into the room, Jonathan was awake. He called her over, "Thank you so much for saving my life."

Maggie looked at him and said, "it's my job."

He said, "You were at the right place at the right time. If you weren't there I would be dead. Thank you so much," as he grabbed Maggie's hand. She said thank you and told him that Dr. Deluca would be doing his post op check ins and for him to follow up with his doctor once he is discharged. He smiled at her as she left his room.

It was now 11am and Maggie did not plan on being in the hospital because it was her day off. She planned on relaxing and running some errands. She completed her notes in the patient chart , went to the attending lounge to change and headed home. She had taken the ambulance to the hospital and realized that she did not have a ride. As she was leaving, she heard a voice call out to her.

"Maggie, Maggie wait," they yelled.

When Maggie turned around she saw Catherine headed in her direction. "Hey Catherine, How are you?"

"Honey, I am exhausted. I have been here all night. I had a surgery that took forever. I am about to go home and relax," she said.

Well, I was on my way home but I don't have my car. I rode in with a patient this morning. While out on a jog, I ran into a medical emergency. Catherine looked at Maggie and said, "I'll bring you home." Maggie hesitated but Catherine would not take no for an answer. Maggie got into car and was quiet. Catherine turned to her, "What's wrong Maggie, you look like you are thinking about something."

"Oh, it's nothing Catherine," she said as she put her head down.

"What did my son do?"

"Catherine, It's nothing we can't handle," as she reached out and grabbed Catherine's hand reassuring her that she was okay and things were going to be fine. Catherine pulled up to Meredith's house and Maggie leaned over and kissed her on the cheek and said goodbye. "Goodbye dear, will I see you later for dinner?" Maggie nodded no, "I don't think it's a good idea. Enjoy your time with Jackson and Harriet and I will see you soon," as she closed the door. Confused by Maggie's response, Catherine called Jackson.

...

Jackson was home with Harriet. He had just fed her breakfast and had gotten her ready for the day. He was still upset about the fight with Maggie and he could not understand why she couldn't just say yes! What's the big deal. Why is she making it so difficult? Why can't she just be in this relationship with me a 100%. Jackson heard his phone ring. When he looked at the screen, it was his mother.

"Hey Ma."

"Hi, Baby, how are you doing? How is my Harriet?"

"I'm fine Ma. Harriet is running around here somewhere."

"How are things with Maggie. I just gave her a ride home from the hospital and she didn't say much?

"Wait, she was not scheduled to work today, why did you have to give her a ride?"

"This morning while out on a jog, she had to help someone. She rode into the hospital on the ambulance with the patient and needed a ride home, so I gave her one. Told her to come to dinner tonight and she said it wasn't a good idea. What happened between you two Jackson?"

"Ma don't worry about it. It's nothing for you to worry about. "

"Jackson Avery?" she said sternly.

"Ma, I said don't worry about it." It's between Maggie and I so just leave it alone."

Not wanting to push she asked, "Are you still coming over for dinner tonight with my Harriet?"

"Yes, Ma we will see you at 6 pm."

"I love you baby. See you guys later."

Jackson jumped in the shower and got ready to bring Harriet to the park and out for lunch. He thought about calling Maggie but it was just a thought. As he left the house Harriet asked, "Daddy, Maggie go home?"

Jackson kissed her on the cheek and said, "she is home sweetheart."

Harriet grabbed Jackson's face and said, "Harriet see Maggie now! Now Daddy."

Jackson continued to make excuses as they drove to the park. When they got there, Harriet was so excited. Jackson took her out of the car and brought her to the playground. He pushed her on the swings, helped her on the monkey bars and helped her down the slide. They then laid in the grass and watched the clouds pass by. He even set up a little picnic with her favorite foods. "Are you having fun sweetheart."

"Yes Daddy. Harriet miss Maggie," she said as she stuffed half a grape into her mouth. Jackson rubbed her cheek with his thumb and said, "you will see her soon sweetie." When he said that her face lit up. A smile came across his face as she looked up at him with heart eyes. He loved that Harriet loved and got along with Maggie.

He was enjoying his time with Harriet but all he could do is think about the argument he had with Maggie. He thought she would have called him by now to apologize but all he got was silence. He packed up and grabbed Harriet and left the park. On the car ride home, Harriet fell asleep. He could hear her breathing softly. He thought about how difficult his relationship was with April and how out of that they were able to create something so beautiful. He knew with Maggie he could have more, He loved her and she loved him but he questioned her commitment to him and their relationship.

When Jackson got home, he put Harriet down and went downstairs to watch the game until it was time to go to Catherine's house for dinner.

…

Catherine was preparing the food when Richard walked in after working at the Hospital. "Hi Honey, it smell good in here," as he kissed her cheek.

"Hi, Baby. Go wash up. The kids are coming over for dinner."Catherine continued setting up for dinner. When Richard was done, he came down and set the table. Shortly after Jackson came walking through the door with Harriet in his arms. "Hey Ma, Hey Richard," he said as he put Harriet on the floor. Harriet ran straight to Catherine, lifting her arms up. Catherine picked her up and showered her little face with kisses. Harriet then reached for Richard and gave him the biggest hug. Richard smiled and put her on the floor. Harriet ran off to her toys in the other room.

"Jackson. Baby, come in the kitchen, I need to talk to you," Catherine said as she walked back into the kitchen. Jackson followed behind her. "Baby what is going on with you and Maggie?"

"Ma please stop. I told you it's between her and I," he said with a scowl on his face.

"Boy, fix your face. I am your mother. Something is eating you up and I know it has something to do with Maggie because I saw it all over her face this morning too."

"Ok, Ma if i tell you, will you not interfere and let us figure it out?"

"Yes", Catherine said looking over at Jackson.

"Things have been going really good between us. She has been amazing Ma. Harriet loves her and she loves Harriet. Maggie is the type of woman I have been waiting for and needed in my life. So yesterday, I asked her to move in with me."

"And," Catherine said as she tilted her head.

"She said that she needed time to think about it. She said that she wasn't ready and needed time."

"And what did you say?" with a perplexed look on her face.

"I got upset. I said I'm tired of waiting. I'm tired of feeling rejected, I am tired of giving you my all and getting half in return. I'm tired Maggie." Then I grabbed Harriet and stormed off.

"Jackson, what is wrong with you? You should know better than that. Did you forget what it was like living with your ex-wife? How she got upset when things didn't go her way? How it affected your relationship till this day? Maggie didn't say no honey, she said she needed to think about it. Moving in is not just something you do. You have to think about what changes when she moves in. For one, she will be helping you more with Harriet and is she ready to do that? Another thing is, once you move in with each other, you will see the good the bad and the ugly are you ready for that. You both have to be on the same page and have an understanding. Your space becomes her space."

"Mom, I love Maggie so much. I am in love with her and I want her around all the time."

"Jackson, I know and I know that Maggie is just asking to talk about it. She didn't say no. You threw a tantrum child and you are a grown man."

Jackson thought about it and he realized he overreacted. She didn't say no, she asked that we talk about it. What is the worst that could happen he said. "You are right Ma. I'm going to call her and tell her to come here."

Catherine loved when Jackson said she was right, "I know baby."

Jackson sent Maggie a text message:

_J: Babe, can you come to my mom's? I need to see you and talk. _

_M: Jackson, I don't know. Are you sure you want me there?_

_J: Please Babe! I really want to talk to you about last night and I don't want to do it over the phone or through text so can you please get over here?_

_M: Okay I'm on my way. _

Jackson told his mother Maggie was on her way.

"I know how much you love her Jackson, don't push her, allow her to meet you halfway," as she rubbed his cheek. "She loves you too. She is willing, trust me, you just have to make her feel safe and secure."

As they sat down for dinner, the doorbell rang. Jackson got up to answer the door. When he opened the door, it was Maggie. He grabbed her hand and pulled her into the house. He put his hands on her face and said, "I was being a brat last night and I am sorry. I'm not tired. I know you are trying."

She looked at him with bright eyes and said, "I need to trust that everything will be okay. I am committed to you and I don't want you to ever doubt my love for you. I am crazy about you Jackson."

They wrapped their arms around each other and Jackson lowered his head and grabbed her lips with his. She pulled away and said, "we have to talk about me moving in though. I don't want you to think I don't love you, I just want us to really think about it together."

"Ok Babe, we can talk about it, later," as he played with her hair.

Maggie handed her bag to Jackson so she could remove her coat. She was wearing red skater dress with gold ballerina flats. She grabbed her bag from him and walked over to the walk-in coat closet to hang them up. Jackson followed her into the closet and wrapped his arms around her waist from behind. "I missed you. I really missed you. One thing that I love about fighting is making up." Jackson kissed her neck and then turned her around and kissed her lips.

Maggie stopped him, "Jackson, we can't, we are at your Mom's house."

"Come on Maggie, she won't know. Besides, you have a dress on, easy access to what I want. Jackson closed the door and whispered shh… and picked her up. Her leg immediately wrapped around his waist. He kissed her and she pressed her lips against his as he walked toward the wall. As the kissing intensified, Maggie could feel him getting harder. She whispered, "I want to feel you inside of me." Jackson reached into his pocket and stopped. Maggie asked, "what wrong babe, what's happening?"

He said, "I have no condom."

Maggie looked into his eyes said, "it's okay babe, I can't stop now. I trust you."

"Are you sure Maggie"

"Yes" she said as she bit down on his lip. Jackson pulled down his pants and entered her. As he grind into her, she let out soft moans that increasingly got louder. Jackson had to cover her mouth with his hands to keep her quiet. He loved hearing her moan and scream his name when they were being intimate. Jackson was in heaven he loved the way she felt. They were in sync with each other. And with each stroke the intensity increased and Jackson quickened his pace. He tilted his head back and his eyes rolled back as he entered ecstasy. They both climaxed at the same time. Maggie's legs quivered and she whisper, "that was amazing." Jackson dug his face into her neck and kissed his way up to her lips. They stayed like that for a while, taking each other in. As he stroked her cheek with the back of his hand he said, "Babe, I don't want you to do anything you are not ready for. I am willing to wait."

"Jackson, I want to move in with you. I just want to make sure nothing will change. You will still love me, be patient with me and we will talk about the big decisions. I also need to know that we will not go to bed angry, we will wake up in each other's arms no matter what and a lot of sex. Deal?"

Jackson looked into her eyes, smiled and said "Deal. So does that mean you are moving in?"

"Yes, Jackson, I will move in with you."

While in the closet, they heard Richard's voice calling for them. Jackson put Maggie down and they fixed their clothes. They both were glowing and by looking at them, you could tell they were up to no good. They exited the closet together and walked into the dining room holding hand. Maggie kissed Catherine and Richard and said, "Hi."

Harriet reached for Maggie. She put her hands on Maggie's face and kissed her on nose. Maggie kissed her little cheeks. "My Maggie is here,"she said as she smiled from ear to ear.

Jackson pulled Maggie's chair out and she sat down. Catherine stared at the both of them with a smirk on her face as if she knew what they were doing. They looked at each other and laughed.

_Because I'm crazy over you_

_I'm crazy over you_

_Sometimes, I may be crazy_

_But I'm still your baby_

_No, I ain't goin' nowhere_

_I'm gonna be right here _

She leaned over and whispered in his ear, "I am crazy about you. I love you Jackson." He kissed her on the cheek and said "I love you too babe."


	18. One on One

"Come on Jackson I just got off a 12 hr shift."

"Babe, I haven't tasted you all week. It's like we are on opposite schedules since you moved in. I miss you and I want you, please don't make me beg."

"Baby, I have a headache and I am exhausted," she said as she dug her head deeper into the pillow. Moving in closer he whispered into her ear, "you know studies show the perfect cure for a headache is an orgasm," he moved her hair away from her neck and kissed her. Maggie laughed as she leaned into his kiss. "Come on Jackson please let me rest I will do whatever you want this weekend."

"Babe that is 3 days from now. I want you now. Let me help you feel better. I'm a doctor, I can help." Jackson climbed on top of her and kissed her from her lips to her navel. Whispering "please baby" as he moved downwards. As his kisses landed on her soft skin, she found herself giving in. He knew exactly how and where to touch her. He pulled down her underwear and pulled her legs apart. He could feel her melting into the bed. She squirmed and flinched as he caressed her thighs with his hands. He nibbled and kissed her inner thighs making his way to his treasure.

"Jackson, hmmmmmm" she moaned as his tongue reached her clit. She began to lose all control as his tongue explored her erotic zone. She reached down and ran her fingers through his hair encouraging him to keep going. He enjoyed satisfying her and loved that she was all his. Maggie arched her back and released sinking deeper into the bed.

He crawled back up kissing her soft smooth skin. He made his way to her lips, looking into her eyes and asked, "Babe how is your headache?" Maggie was too busy quivering to fully respond. He got in between her legs and entered her. Which caused them both let out a loud sigh. Maggie wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer. As he pulled in and out, their breathing got heavier and heavier. He leaned into her ear, "Babe, how are you feeling?" As he increased the intensity of his strokes.

"I feel…." She lost all control of her functioning. She held on to him as they maintained the rhythm and pace he had set until they both climaxed with him collapsing onto her chest. She rubbed his back and whispered, "I feel better…" He turned his head and kissed her on the cheek. He then moved from in between her legs and laid next to her wrapping his arms around her.

"Now where did you read this study Jackson?"

Jackson smiled and said, "I can't remember but it's out there." They both laughed.

"I love this, I love you?" she said as she laid in his arms.

"I love this and I love you too Babe," pulling her tighter into his embrace. I can be like this with you forever Babe."

"Me too," she whispered, her voice becoming softer.

He knew she was falling asleep and he was okay with that. She was falling asleep in his arms, in his embrace. He loved this woman and the more time he had with her the more he appreciated their moments. He laid there holding her until he too fell asleep.

…

The next day, they were both going into the hospital at the same time. As they got ready, Maggie teased him about the study and pulled him by his tie closer to her. "Babe thank you for last night, I have never felt so relaxed." Jackson kissed her on the tip of her nose and said,

"Anytime babe. Just keeping up my end of the deal."

They finished getting ready and headed to the hospital. While in the car they made plans to have dinner together. Maggie said, "I am going to cook us some dinner and then we can have some uninterrupted one on one time." Jackson looked over at her with a smirk on his face, does that mean "we will be unplugged?" Looking over at him, "Yes babe, unplugged. Unless it has to do with Harriet. I am not on call and neither are you so we are good." As they pulled up to the hospital, they kissed and rubbed noses to confirm their date. They held hands as they walked in.

One of the nurses saw Maggie walking in and yelled, "Dr. Pierce you had a delivery come in for you this morning."

"Where is it," she said as she walked toward the nurse's station. The nurse pulled of a bouquet of flowers. Both Maggie and Jackson had a look of shock on their faces. Maggie turned to Jackson assuming it was him surprising her but when she noticed the look on his face, she was not sure. It was a dozen white roses and a single red rose with a card attached to it.

"_You were at the right place at the right time and you saved my life… I know that you operated on this heart of mine but I can't stop thinking about you. Especially that smile. I was hoping you would allow me to_…" before she could finish, Jackson grabbed the note. With an annoyed tone he read the rest… _"take you out to dinner to thank you and get to know the woman behind that smile. Give me a call so we can talk. Jonathan (206) 683-5387._

"Maggie who is Jonathan?" he whispered as he stared into her eyes.

"It's a patient I operated on a couple of weeks ago. The day after our argument about me moving in. I went for a run and he was on the ground holding his chest. He said I saved his life and I told him, I was just doing my job."

"Why is he sending you flowers?"

"Your guess is as good as mine Jackson. I don't know. The only interactions I had with him was in the ambulance and in the hospital. Babe relax, you have nothing to worry about." She kissed him on the lips and attempted to take the card from him, "no I'll hang on to this."

"Jackson, you don't trust me," she said with a confused look on her face.

"No, I trust you, I just want to let him know you're taken."

"I don't need you to do that, I can handle it." She reached over again and this time was able to take the card out of his hand.

Maggie looked at the nurse and said, "enjoy those roses," as she grabbed Jackson's hand. Let's go change into our scrubs and get ready for the day Dr. Avery.

On the elevator ride up, Maggie could sense that something was wrong. "Jackson, spill it."

"It's nothing Babe."

"Come on Jackson, nothing happened."

"I know Maggie. I trust you and I know you will handle it."

"Then what's with the face."

"What face. No I am just thinking," he grabbed her hand and kissed it.

They got into the attending lounge and changed. They spent the last few minutes discussing their schedule. Jackson pulled Maggie into his chest and kissed her passionately, before letting her go, he bit her bottom lip.

"Jackson, we have no time for that right now."

"So later, during our uninterrupted one on one time?"

"Definitely," she said as she licked the side of his neck before running out of the attending lounge.

Jackson smiled and said, "You're such a tease!"

…

As the day progressed Jackson thought about that card. He also thought about how lucky he was to have Maggie. She was what he needed in a time when he felt like he could love no more. Why is this man sending her flowers? Did she seem too available? Did she give off that she was a single woman? What was it? The more he thought about it, the more frustrated and annoyed he became.

He walked to the coffee cart to grab a cup of coffee. As he approached the cart he saw Maggie there speaking to someone he was not familiar with. He walked up putting his arms around Maggie. "Hi Babe," and her kissed her forehead. "Hi." She said looking up at him.

"Ok Dr. Pierce, thanks for the update. I will talk to you later."

"Maggie who was that?"

"That was Mr. Barstow. I operated on his wife this morning. He had some questions regarding post op and follow up visits."

"Oh, okay," Jackson said.

"Jackson, you want to go have lunch? I have some time."

"I can't Maggie. I came down to grab some coffee. I have a surgery in 20 minutes with Hunt, need to go prep."

"Okay babe. My afternoon is light. I'll come watch after I eat something. I am so hungry." She kissed Jackson rubbed his cheek with her hand as she walked away.

On his way to the OR he received a message from Owen telling him the surgery was postponed until tomorrow. Jackson decided to go to the cafeteria to have lunch with Maggie.

...

Maggie went to the cafeteria and while there, she heard someone call her name. Maggie looked in the direction welters the voice was coming from.

"Dr. Pierce, there you are. I have been looking all over the place for you. You are a hard person to find."

"Hi, Mr. Gibson, what are you doing here? Is everything okay?"

"Please call me Jonathan. No, I'm fine. I was hoping to get a call from you but I never heard back. Figured I'd come in person. So did you get my flowers? I'm not sure what a beautiful lady like you likes but I wanted to get you something nice."

"Yes I got them and..."

"Wait I know I'm being a little too forward but, can I take you out sometime?"

_Jackson was getting off the elevator when he noticed Maggie talking to a guy in line._

Maggie smiled and said, "I am so flattered but I have a boyfriend."

Jonathan stood there looking into her eyes, "well then Dr. Pierce, I can respect that. Sorry to bother you." As he went to walk away he said, "I like a challenge."

"Jonathan I'm serious. I have a boyfriend."

Jonathan smiled and said, "You've said that already. I'm sure he is a good guy but I am a great catch."

As Jackson walked closer to Maggie, he stopped and yelled out Anthony is that you?

Jackson walked over and greeted him. "Maggie this is Anthony we play basketball together."

Maggie had a confused look on her face. "I thought your name was Jonathan?"

"That's my name but people usually address me by my middle name."

In that moment, Jackson realized that Anthony was the Jonathan that sent the flowers."I see you met my girlfriend Maggie," Jackson said as he put his arms around her neck.

"Oh, this is the boyfriend you were telling me about," he said with a surprised look on his face.

Maggie froze for a moment and then looked at Jackson. He had a smirk on his face. And his grip around her got tighter. Before he could say anything, she said, "Jonathan, I really meant it. I am not available. I am in love with this guy and so there are no possibilities here." She then grabbed Jackson's hand and left the cafeteria.

"Jackson, Jackson, are you not going to say anything?" She said holding his face in her hands.

He smiled at Maggie and said, "You're in love with me?"

"Jackson, I tell you I love you all the time."

"That is different Maggie Pierce," he said as his eyes lit up.

She looked up at him and said, "Can you stop looking at me like that. It's not like you didn't know."

Jackson pulled Maggie into his chest and said, "you don't usually say stuff like that. It was nice to hear. I am such a lucky guy."

"Now that you got that off your chest, can we go get something to eat, I am starving," she said as she wiggled herself out of his embrace.

…

Their shift ended and Jackson waited for Maggie as she changed out of her scrubs. Maggie looked at Jackson and asked, "So you're not going to say anything about your friend hitting on me?"

Jackson looked at Maggie and said, "You handled it. Besides I think he got the picture."

"I told you I would. Are you ready for some one on one time?" She said with a mischievous smile on her face.

Jackson grabbed her and palmed her ass… "I am beyond ready," as he placed a kiss on her neck.

"Get a room, you two gross me out," Alex said as he walked into the attending lounge. Maggie and Jackson both ignored him and continued to whisper sensually to one another.

Meredith then walked in and said, "it hasn't worn off yet you two?"

"Nope, they are still acting like it's new," Amelia said as she walked in. All three continued to tease them but they did not care. They planned on having a quiet time at home.

Jackson whispered to Maggie, "are you ready? I am getting to the point where if we don't leave, we will have to go into an on-call room."

"I heard that Avery," Meredith said rolling her eyes.

"Have a great night guys," they said as they left the attending lounge.

…

Jackson and Maggie went home and she cooked dinner. After she changed into one of Jackson's t-shirts. He was downstairs loading the dishwasher when she approached him.

"You were so hot today."

"How?"

"I saw your reaction to the flowers, you were jealous."

"I wasn't jealous I just didn't like the idea of someone else giving you flowers. Okay, I was jealous."

"Well it was sexy," she said as she unbuttoned his pants and began to stroke his length. He lowered his head a kissed her. She pulled away and moved her way down. Before wrapping her lips around his lengths she whisper "you ready for some one on one?" Before he could respond she had taken him into her mouth causing him to moan out "Yes"


	19. Unexpected

Jackson and Maggie made love all night. When she said one on one time, she meant it. She satisfied and fulfilled his every desire. When it came to Maggie, Jackson catered to her every need, last night it was all about him. Jackson woke up with her in his arms. He touched her smooth skin with his hands and thought about how lucky he was to have her in his life. She made him feel really special last night. He didn't know she had that much energy and the sex was amazing. It was 6 am and they both had to be at the hospital by in the morning. Not wanting to wake her, he kissed her neck and he slid out of bed.

She woke up to find Jackson not lying next to her. She got up and started to prepare her for the day. As she walked to the bathroom, the smell of pancakes and bacon filled the air. She suddenly had the urge to vomit. She ran to the bathroom, hovered over the toilet and puked her guts out. She grabbed a towel and wiped her mouth. She thought, "I can't be getting sick. I have an important surgery this morning." She grabbed a thermometer and took her temperature. It was 98.6. Maybe I'm just anxious she said holding her stomach.

She got dressed and walked downstairs to see Jackson making breakfast, "Good morning handsome" she said as she wrapped her arms around him from behind. "Good morning Babe, how did you sleep?"

"I should be asking you how you slept," as she released her grip and moved to his side.

He looked down, smiled and said, "I slept great," placing a kiss on her neck. "You know, how to make me feel special. We should schedule one on one every month."

"So what is your schedule for the day babe?"

"I have a major surgery this morning. I am really nervous. I am hoping it goes well."

"You will do great babe. I am going to run up and get ready to leave with you. Eat some breakfast and try to relax" placing a kiss on her forehead.

Maggie attempted to eat but she was overwhelmed and wanted to get to the hospital to prep for the surgery. She drank a glass of orange juice and ate a couple of bites and tossed it into the trash. As she cleaned off her plate, Jackson came downstairs dressed and ready to leave. "What's wrong babe, you hardly ate."

"I am really anxious. I want to get to the hospital to prep. So can we go now?"

They both grabbed their items and left the house. Jackson gave her a pep talk on the car ride. She was pulling at her fingers and was rambling about what would happened if she messed up the procedure. He told her she was a great surgeon and that she was going to do great. He kissed her goodbye as they walked into the hospital and separated. She went and prepared for her surgery.

….

She walked into the scrub room and while putting on her mask, Parker walked in and told her the patient was prepped and ready. After scrubbing, she walked into the OR. As she entered the OR she took a couple of deep breaths and then walked up to the operating table. She stood over the patient and asked for the 10 blade. As soon as she cut, a feeling of nausea hit her. She was able to focus but it was so noticeable, that Parker asked, "Are you OK Dr. Pierce?" "I'm fine," she responded, let's continue.

Maggie completed the surgery and the patient was taken to the Cardiac ICU. She told the nurses to check in periodically due to it being a high risk procedure. She completed the chart and went to her lab. While in her lab, Parker came in to check on her. "Dr. Pierce are you okay? I saw what happened today and just wanted to check in."

"I'm fine Parker. I was just a little nervous I guess. It was a big procedure."

Parker said, "OK." and left the room.

While in her lab, Jackson came in. He wrapped his arms around her from behind. He said, "How was the surgery?" with his face in her neck.

She leaned back and said, "It was good. Now we just have to wait and see if he wakes up. It was a long and tough procedure babe. It was his only shot."

"You are a great surgeon Babe, I'm positive you did everything you could."

"You are so cute. You came to check on me huh?" She turned around to face him.

"Yes and I need your help with something."

"What is it babe?"

"Well my mom needs me to go to Boston with her this afternoon. She has had Harriet for the last couple of days because April is still having her crisis of faith. So now that both of us are leaving, I wanted to know if you can take care of Harriet tonight. I will be back but late."

"Sure, just let me know what you need me to do."

"My mom dropped her off at daycare this morning. All you have to do is pick her up from daycare. Everything else is up to you. I trust you and know that you will take good care of her.

Jackson pulled her into his arms and said, "You are everything I could ever ask for. Thanks for doing this." He leaned in grabbed her lips with his and said, "I will see you tonight. I love you."

"I love you too." She said as he walked out.

…

As the day progressed, Maggie continued to feel sick. She decided that she was going to try to grab something to eat. She thought, I didn't really eat anything this morning, so maybe i'm just hungry.

She met Meredith, Amelia and Alex in the cafeteria for lunch. She got a turkey sandwich, a side salad, and an apple.

"Hey, look who decided to join us for lunch, Amelia said looking over at Maggie."

"Whatever Amelia!" she said jokingly

"Where is Jackson? You two are always together."

"He went to Boston with his mother. They had a VIP patient."

"Wow so you two are actually two separate individuals," while he laughed.

Maggie looked over at him and threw a napkin. "Be quiet Karev, we are not together all the time."

"Now that we live together it might seem like that but we hardly see each other. We have just enough time to check in, have sex and sleep."

"At least you're having sex, Meredith said. All I have is my massager."

They all laughed and continued to tease Maggie. After lunch, Maggie and Amelia made their way to the ER. They were both paged for consults. Amelia took a look at Maggie and said," you don't look like yourself, are you okay?"

"I'm fine Amelia. I promise, had a tough surgery this morning and I am really worried about the patient."

Amelia shrugged her shoulders and said "OK."

Maggie's consult did not require surgical intervention so she returned to her lab. On the way there, she ran into Parker. She asked him about the status of the patient. Parker was holding an onion bagel in his hand with cream cheese. Before he could respond, she ran to the bathroom and vomited. What is wrong with me she thought. She cleaned herself up and asked Parker to follow her to her lab so they could discuss the patient. She asked him to throw the bagel before entering.

"Dr. Pierce, are you OK?"

"Parker I am fine, I really need this patient to survive. It was his last chance to live. It's anxiety producing."

"I understand Dr. Pierce. Try distracting yourself and try not to think about it."

Parker informed her that the patient was stable and continued to be checked hourly. "I will update you if anything changes." He then walked out of her lab.

Maggie felt awful. She was feeling nauseous, she was feeling light headed and had no appetite. I really can't be getting sick she thought. She left her lab and walked into one of the medical supply rooms and grabbed a pregnancy test. She walked into the ladies room and stared at the test not knowing if she should take it or not. As she walked toward the stall her mind was racing and she couldn't focus. She went into the stall and took the test. She sat and stared at the test until the results came through," positive," two lines, clear as day!

She whispered, I can't be pregnant. She pulled out her phone to check the date. She was about 4 weeks late. How could I not notice I didn't get my period. What is wrong with me. "Oh my god, I'm pregnant." She took the test and placed it back in the wrapper and placed it in her pocket. While walking down the hall, she saw Amelia.

"Amelia, I need a huge favor. You have to promise me you won't say anything to anyone. You also can't say anything to me or say I'm irresponsible or make any jokes. I'm freaking out and have that part covered. I need you to run some tests."

"Okay Maggie, calm down. Where is the patient?"

Maggie looked at her with a look of concern, "Me."

"What's wrong Maggie? Are you okay? What's happening? Do you have a tumor?"

She pulled Amelia into a corner and said, "I think I might be pregnant."

Amelia grabbed her and gave her the biggest hug. "Maggie, that's exciting."

"No it's not Amelia. I am freaking out here. Jackson is going to… I don't even know. How can I be so irresponsible? We just moved in together and I am always so careful about these things. What is happening?"

"Maggie calm down!"

"Amelia, I really need you to do a blood test. I need to confirm this pregnancy. So can you please…"

Before she could finish Amelia said, "Maggie, I'll do it. Come on."

Amelia ran the blood to the lab herself. When she got to the lab, she walked into Maggie's lab where she found maggie pacing back and forth. "Maggie, I need you to sit down."

"I can't Amelia. Just tell me."

"Well sister, you are with child," she handed Maggie the test results.

Maggie collapsed onto the chair next to her. "I can't believe this. How can this be? What is Jackson going to say Amelia?" with her hand buried in her face.

Amelia grabbed her hand and said, "He loves you. He is going to support you."

He hugged her and said, "If he doesn't, I will hurt him."

Maggie laughed and wiped the tears from her eyes. "Okay Amelia. Promise you won't say anything," with a look of concern on her face.

"I promise Maggie," she said rubbing her back. The sisters hugged and Amelia told her she would be there no matter what. Amelia left and Maggie continues to think about how Jackson would react to this. She wondered if she should call or send him a text. She knew that she wanted him to know right away. She started to clean up her lab to get ready to head home. She was freaking out internally but she had to stay calm because she had Harriet tonight. She had to keep it together.

…

It was the end of her shift and Maggie went and changed out of her scrubs. She grabbed her stuff and headed to the nursery. As she walked in Harriet ran and grabbed her leg, "My Maggie is here," she said with excitement. Maggie bent over and said, "Hello Miss Harriet," placing a kiss on her cheek. Maggie signed her out of daycare and headed to the car. While putting Harriet in her carseat, April walked up to the car. Maggie secured her in the carseat and shut the door.

Looking at Maggie, "Where is Jackson?"

"Oh, he had to fly out to Boston with Catherine for a VIP patient. He will be back tonight if you need to get a hold of him."

"So why do you have Harriet?"

"Because he asked me to pick her up from daycare, and to care for her until he gets back and if I am correct it technically is his week to have her."

"Well, I think it's okay. I'm her mother and I am available to take her. He can pick her up from me when he gets back from Boston."

"No April, It's okay. I can handle it. Jackson told me you have been having some issues lately and you haven't been able to take care of her. I would rather we just agree to have her stay with me and you can take this up with Jackson when he gets back. We have had her on a solid routine for the last couple of weeks and don't want her to get thrown off since you are not familiar with it."

"I don't want her going to an environment that she is not familiar with. She shouldn't be going to your house. She should be going to either mine or his."

"April, I moved in with Jackson. WE live together. His place is now our place so Harriet will be at home."

"What!?" She said with a scowl on her face.

Maggie looked over at April and said, "If you have an issue with it, why don't you just call Jackson."

"I'm going to call Jackson then." Don't leave she said angrily.

Without flinching, Maggie opened the driver side door and sat facing the outside as April took out her cell phone to call Jackson.

...

"Jackson, why does Maggie have Harriet? And why wasn't I told that she was living with you? Don't you think that it would have been nice to inform me that your girlfriend was living in my...I mean your apartment playing family with our daughter?"

"April calm down," he said as he raised his voice. "Maggie has been taking care of Harriet with me the last couple of weeks. She is familiar with her routine and Harriet loves and trust her. Right now you are not in a position to care for her. You are drinking a great deal and the men… April I am not trying to make things difficult and I really don't want to argue. We have been caring for her the last couple of weeks and both Maggie and my mother have been a huge support. I am entrusting my girlfriend to care for her until I get home tonight. If you have a problem with it, we can all discuss it when you get back."

April paused and Maggie noticed tears streaming from her eyes. She walked away holding the phone to her ear and sat down on the curb. "Jackson, I can't believe you moved her in."

April we have been divorced for 2 years now. Like I said before, she is my future and Maggie will be around. She will be my wife one day if I have a say. Please just calm down and go take care of April. Maggie is great with Harriet. I trust her so you should trust her too. I have to go. We will talk later."

Maggie's phone rang…

"Hi Jackson," she said softly.

"Babe, I'm sorry, It's okay. I…" she paused.

Maggie, "You can leave with Harriet. We can all talk about this when he gets back," she said as she walked away.

Maggie continued, "I was not going to let April take her. She did not look like herself and I really didn't want her scaring Harriet. I will get her home and make sure I keep her on schedule. I will see you when you get back tonight."

"Okay babe,I will see you when I get back."

"Jackson, what time you think you'll get back here. We need to talk?"

"Is everything okay babe?"

"I'm not sure. I just know that we need to talk," she said nervously.

"Okay, well I am going into surgery now. I will leave once the patient is in recovery. My mother is going to stay so she can do the post op checks."

"Okay."

"Maggie, I love you."

"I love you too Jackson. See you when you get back."

…

April walked into Bailey's office with tears in her eyes.

"April, what's wrong?"

"I need to schedule some time off. I think I need to get away for awhile. I am going to go and visit my parents."

"Whatever you need. I know you have been having a hard time lately. Maybe some time away will help."

"Thanks Chief," she said as she walked out of Bailey's office.

...

Once Maggie got home with Harriet, she gave her a small snack and started preparing dinner. Maggie fed her and she did not eat dinner because her stomach was still bothering her. Instead, she ate crackers and sipped on some ginger ale. After dinner she bathed Harriet and read her a story.

"Harriet loves Maggie." She said curling up in Maggie's arm.

"Maggie loves Harriet too," she said as she kissed the top of her head full of curls. Maggie rocked her until she fell asleep. Maggie turned on her night light and turned on the monitor. She went downstairs to clean up and relax for a bit. She continued to nibble on crackers and sip on her ginger ale. She tried to stay up to talk to Jackson but began to feel restless. She went upstairs, showered and climbed into bed. She thought about how she was going to break the news to Jackson about the baby. She didn't want to hold on to it another day. She wanted to tell him right away. She pulled out a crossword puzzle and started working on it. As she worked on it she rubbed her stomach and though she was nervous, she was a bit excited. Then she thought about her mother and a feeling of sadness overwhelmed her. As she laid there she stared at the pregnancy test and the blood test results still in disbelief. She placed them on the bed and continued to work on her crossword puzzle.

...

It was 1 am when Jackson came through the door. Maggie left a note on the fridge letting him know dinner was in the fridge. He put his stuff down, warmed up his meal and sat on the sofa. He knew that Maggie wanted to talk to him about something but he needed to breathe. He was anxious the whole plane ride back to Seattle. He wondered if this thing with April made her think twice about being with him. He loved Maggie and didn't want anything getting in the way of that. After eating, he cleaned up and walked upstairs. He went into Harriet's room, he ran his fingers through her curly hair and placed a kiss, "goodnight sweetheart. Daddy loves you." as he quietly walked out.

He walked into their bedroom and Maggie was fast asleep. Her turquoise head scarf was sticking out of their comforter. Jackson walked straight to the bathroom, showered and climbed into bed. As he drew close to her, he felt something poke his leg. He found a pencil and the daily crossword puzzle completed with a note on top, 11 minutes. He smiled as he looked under the covers to make sure he wouldn't find any other surprises. When he looked he found something wrapped in a folded piece of piece of paper. When he unfolded it, he found the pregnancy test, he saw that it was positive. He then looked at the folded piece of paper and laughed. He said, "of course she would need to get a blood test."

Jackson was surprised. He was also excited, he couldn't help but to wake her. He placed soft kisses on her neck and face until she woke up, "Babe, wake up. I'm home."

When she opened her eyes and saw him, she turned toward him placing a kiss on his lips. "Hi,"she said staring into his eyes.

"Hi Babe. You wanted to talk. What's up?"

"So I don't know how this could have happened. Usually I am more responsible and more aware of my body. I have not been on my A game lately and I think it has something to do with you. You have this affect on me that I can't really explain and don't know what it is exactly. I just know that I love it," as she dug her face into his chest. She said, "Jackson, I'm pregnant."

"What Babe? I can't hear you."

She sat up and cradled his face with her hands and said, "Jackson, I'm pregnant."

Jackson looked at her and said, "Maggie are you serious. You can't be serious. I can't believe you let this happen," flopping onto his pillow. "Maggie I thought you were on top of this kind of stuff, especially since you don't like surprises and are super cautious. How can you let this happen?" covering his face.

"Jackson, are you putting this all on me? Jackson..."

A smile appeared on his face as he grabbed her pulling her into his chest, "I love you Maggie and our love made a baby. I am so happy you are having my baby. You are having my baby right?"

"Oh Jackson, that is not an option. I'm scared, nervous and freaking out and I still want to have this baby."

Jackson smiled and placed kisses all over her neck and face. He then kissed her passionately on her lips. Pulling away he asked, "Do you think it happened when we made love in the coat closet at my mom's? They both laughed…

"Definitely," she said pulling his lips into hers.


	20. Reassurance

Maggie woke up the next morning panicked. Jackson jumped up, "Maggie what's happening?"

As she sat up,she said, "Jackson, I had the weirdest dream."

He laid back down and engaged her while half asleep, "What was it about Babe?"

"We were in bed and I told you I was pregnant, that's crazy right?"

"Maggie," he said as he pulled her down into his chest, "It's not crazy, you are pregnant."

Maggie looked at him and said, "Oh my God I am pregnant. I am freaking out Jackson. What kind of mother am I going to be? Oh my God Jackson we are having a baby." Jackson released his grip on her and looked at her with his piercing blue eyes that instantly calmed her. He kissed her and said, "you are going to be an amazing mom." He kissed her cheek and then tucked his face into her neck, "Babe, are you going to be like this the whole pregnancy? Do I need to frame the blood test results and put it on your nightstand so it is a reminder that you are having our baby?"

"Funny Jackson. I am just in a state of shock. I'm sure it will set in soon."

"How are you feeling? Do you need me to get you anything?"

"I'm okay. Just nausea and vomiting. We might have to keep the pantry stocked with crackers and the fridge with ginger ale for a while."

"Babe, as exciting as this is there is one thing that we have to talk about. We have to talk about April and how we are going to handle what happened yesterday. She wasn't happy about me not telling her about you moving in, she wasn't happy about Harriet being with you and when she finds out that you are expecting, it's going to… I don't even know."

"Well Jackson, I really don't want anyone to know I am pregnant until we are 12 weeks along, it's going to be so hard, but I am going to try. We are not going to tell her. Other than that, I will do anything you need me to do regarding Harriet. You don't owe her an explanation about us living together. We are a couple and eventually we will be… you know."

"Married!" He said with a smile on his face.

"I was thinking more in the line of engaged then married." She said smiling back at him.

"I will do whatever you want… I am all in," he said placing his hand on her stomach. "You are definitely stuck with me now. You are having a little Avery!"

She looked at him and said, "Your mother is going to flip, we did this backwards."

She will be just fine. She is finally getting the (Ellis) Grey/Avery baby she always wanted. Now to hide it from her is going to take skill," he said looking at her.

"Let's not talk about that. She makes me nervous and scares me a little. Let's get this thing with April over and done with."

"Okay Babe. I will call her and set something up. I know you are off today, what do you have planned?"

"I was actually going to go see my ObGyn. I wanted to get on some vitamins and get a quick check up to make sure I am correct with my calculations. I'm going to see if they have anything available this morning."

As she rambled, Jackson stared at her. He took his hand and brushed it against her cheek, "You are so beautiful, I can't believe that you, Maggie Pierce, are having my baby." He kissed her hand and said, "Thank you for telling me and not letting me find out from someone else."

She looked at him and said, " You are so annoyingly sappy this morning do you need some tissue." She placed a kiss on his lips and said, "hope you're ready."

"I am more than ready, Babe," he said as he climbed on top of her. He kissed her lips and moved down to her neck. He lifted her tank to expose her stomach and breast and continued to place kisses all over her body, they heard a voice through the monitor.

"Harriet wants Maggie! Pease." Jackson let out a sigh, Maggie pushed him off and said, I've been summoned by Princess Harriet. Pulling her back into bed he whispered "but daddy wants Maggie too." She leaned into his embrace and said…"tonight."

…

Maggie went to get Harriet and brought her into their bedroom. Harriet climbed onto Jackson's chest, "waffles Daddy." Jackson smiled, "whatever my Princess wants she gets." He got up and made his way to the door. "Anything for you Babe?"

"Nope waffles are fine."

Maggie stayed upstairs with Harriet. She got her ready for the day. She picked out an outfit and did her hair. She then brought her downstairs to Jackson. As the room filled with the smell of waffles Maggie thought okay, I'm okay, no i'm not ok. She ran to the downstairs bathroom and threw up. Jackson followed her into the bathroom and held her hair back. He handed her a towel when she finished and asked, "do you want something to settle the nausea babe, I can write you a script?"

"No, I'm going to the doctors office today. I'll let her know about my symptoms."

Maggie went back upstairs and began preparing for her appointment. Jackson fed Harriet and then allowed her to play while he called April. When he went to grab his phone he had a message.

"Jackson things have been difficult. Have not been able to get back on track. Decided to visit my parents to get some peace . I will be back next week we can talk then. I will talk to Harriet tonight. Talk to you soon- April"

Jackson went upstairs and told Maggie about the message. "Guess we don't have to worry about that conversation until she gets back." While he got ready to drop Harriet off at daycare he said, "Babe, I am going to come with you to the appointment."

Maggie smiled and said, "I would love that. You can keep me calm." Jackson wanted to experience this pregnancy from the beginning to the end. He planned on attending every single appointment she had.

They dropped Harriet off at daycare and headed to her appointment. While filling out the patient information form, she froze when she saw the question on marital status. Jackson looked over at her and noticed her hesitation. "Babe are you okay? What's wrong."

"Oh nothing," she said, her voice cracking.

"Babe, what's on your mind. Just say it. Remember no secrets. We talk."

"Jackson, I'm pregnant. I am considered single. There is no box for girlfriend. If we break up, I will be an unwed single mother."

"Maggie, why are you bringing this up now. Can we focus on the appointment and then we can have this discussion later. Besides, you will never be a single mother because I am always going to be here. I'm not going anywhere and neither are you."

"Jackson we did this backwards. I was supposed to be married first."

"Babe, stop it…"

"Maggie Pierce," they heard the nurse say.

"Yes"

"Come with me."

Jackson grabbed Maggie's hand and they walked in together, "Babe, I love you. I am not going anywhere. You got me for life because you are having my baby. Besides, you will not be my girlfriend forever." he said with a bright smile. Maggie smiled back nervously.

...

Maggie had a list of questions prepared for the doctor. She wanted to know about vitamins, food restrictions etc. The doctor walked into the exam room. Maggie was sitting on the table and Jackson was standing beside her. The doctor asked her to lay down. The doctor began the ultrasound. As the wand traveled across her stomach, Maggie held on to Jackson's hand. "There it is," the doctor said. She turned on the sound and they could hear the baby's heartbeat clear as day. Both Maggie and Jackson smiled when they heard the baby's heartbeat on the monitor. A tear came streaming down her face as she got to see and hear the baby. Jackson leaned over and wiped the tears from her eyes. "I love you," he said as he placed a kiss on her forehead. "We made a baby." The doctor wiped her stomach and asked Jackson and Maggie to join her in her office.

The doctor told Maggie she was 8 weeks pregnant. The doctor asked, "How are you feeling? Any morning sickness?"

Maggie mention the nausea and was given a prescription and given a list of prenatal vitamins and supplements. When they discussed food restrictions, Maggie was caught off guard when told she would not be allowed to eat soft cheeses and cold cuts due to listeria. She also would have to limit her caffeine intake. She had to stay away from raw fish, sushi, and her meat had to be cooked well done. She was already aware of the alcohol restriction and had already come to terms with it.

As the doctor listed the items, she squeezed Jackson's hand. She had to increase her intake of veggies, fruits, lots of water and proteins. The doctor then handed her a book, What to expect when you're expecting. She had to return for her 12 week appointment.

On the way home from the appointment, Maggie looked through the book. "Jackson, who knew there were this many restrictions when you are pregnant?" she asked with her face buried in the book.

"You," Jackson said looking over at her. "Maggie you are a doctor, I'm sure you did an OB/GYN rotation during residency."

Not hearing a word he said she continued, "What am I going to eat. No soft cheese, do you know how I feel about cheese Jackson? Do you? How am I going to survive without coffee? This child is taking over and it's not even her yet!"

"Babe calm down, we want our baby to be healthy which means you have to make some sacrifices. I know cheese is life to you, you can eat it, it just can't be the soft cheeses you know, blue cheese, gorgonzola, brie, feta…"

"Jackson stop it," she said with annoyance in her voice.

He laughed and said, "Babe, if it will make you feel better, I will give them up too." He grabbed her hand kissed it and placed it in his lap.

"You don't have to she said."

"Well I want to he responded. I want to do this with you. We are going to do this together."

Maggie looked over at him and yawned. "Someone is tired," he said. How about I drop you off at home and go run these errands for you. You need your rest."

Jackson dropped Maggie off at home and went to the pharmacy to pick up her prescription and supplements. When he got home, Maggie was asleep on the sofa with the book opened across her chest. He looked at her and said, "this is going to be fun." He walked up to her took the book and placed in on the coffee table. He then grabbed a blanket and placed it over her. He found another list of questions she had for their next appointment. Jackson laughed and placed it on top of the book. Not wanting to wake her, he left her a note.

Going to pick up Harriet, I'll be back. Call me if you need anything.

When Jackson got to the hospital he checked in on some of his post ops and talked to Karev about a possible surgery he may need his assistance on. He then went and picked up Harriet.

…

Jackson got home with a sleeping Harriet. Jackson heard the shower running upstairs. He brought Harriet upstairs and placed her in her bed. Maggie had a towel wrapped around her and was putting her hair up, preparing to jump in the shower.

"Going somewhere?" he said as he leaned against the wall watching her.

"You startled me," she said turning toward him. "Yes, I am going out with my sisters. We are going to have ladies night."

Jackson smiled and walked over to her, "I'm going to miss you."

Jackson, "I will be back. I live here with you remember."

"I know," he said with a huge smile on his face. "You're coming home and climbing into our bed," he said as he kissed her neck and then her shoulder. Moving his way back up, his lips wrapped around her lips and as the kiss got deeper, he untied the towel allowing it to fall onto the floor. He then walked her toward the wall.

She whispered, "Babe, we don't have time for that right now, I have to get ready. Meredith will be here in an hour."

His lips continued to travel all over her body. He whispered, "Let me just give you a preview of what to expect tonight when you get home." He could feel her grip getting tighter around his neck and she let out a soft moan as he nibbled on her neck. She whispered, "preview only." He took two fingers and placed them in between her legs testing to see how moist she was. He whispered into her ear, "seems you want me just as bad as I want you." He lifted her up and she wrapped her legs around his waist.

He made love to her against the wall and then in the shower. Maggie holding on to him said, "If I am late, I am going to blame you…" He smiled and said, "I'm okay with that."

"Okay Jackson, put me down. I have to start getting ready." He put her down and she rinsed herself off. He pressed up behind her and kissed the nape of her neck. "Jackson, don't do that, you know I like it when you kiss me there."

"I know he said biting down on her shoulder."

She moved away and grabbed a towel to get out of the shower, he said with a smirk on his face, "Remember that was just a preview." Maggie laughed as she walked out.

As she got dressed Jackson came out of the shower. He walked up behind her and whispered, "I love when you wear green." He buried his face into her curls.

"Jackson, come on. What is up with you?"

"Babe, I can't help it, you're so radiant. your glow is turning me on," his hands traveled across her stomach. "I still can't believe you are having my baby."

"Well believe it". She looked down and turned to face him. "You promise you will be around right?"

"Maggie, I am not going anywhere. I am in this."

"I know. I also don't want you to marry me because I am having a baby you know. I want it to be because you love me and can't be without me." She turned back around to finish her make-up.

He whispered in her ear, "When I do propose, I just need to know that you won't run and you will say yes because you want to be my wife and not because you feel obligated to because of the baby."

Maggie looked up in the mirror and met his eyes. She responded, "I love you. You, Harriet, this relationship, this baby are everything to me. Not an obligation."

Jackson smiled and continued to kiss her neck and nibble on her ear. She pulled away and looked up at him, "Jackson can you please let me finish?"

"I can but you're so beautiful."

She smiled and placed her hand over his, resting it on her stomach, "you're such a sap."

As he continued to tease her, her phone rang. She reached over and picked it up.

"Hey Maggie, Amelia and I are downstairs."

"Okay, I will be right down," she said as she let out a giggle.

"Tell Jackson to peel himself off of you so you can leave."

"Meredith I'll be right down."

Before hanging up she heard Maggie say, "Come on Jackson I have to go."

Meredith turned to Amelia and said, "at the rate there going, Maggie will be married and having a little Avery."

Amelia not wanting to let the cat out the bag, let out a sarcastic laugh, "you know that man is head over heels in love with her. He stares at her like he is seeing her for the first time and he can't help but touch her."

They both laughed, "he's obsessed!"

Maggie kissed Jackson goodbye and made her way downstairs to meet her sisters.

Maggie got into the car and asked, "where are we going?"

"I made reservations at that Italian restaurant you like. You know the one with the really good cheese platter. I really enjoyed their food the last time we went," Meredith said as she looked at Maggie through the rear view mirror.

Maggie let out a sigh, "uhhhh, can we not!"

"Why not, I thought you like there food."

"I do Mer, I just can't go there without wanting to indulge in all that cheese and wine."

"So what's wrong with that Maggie? Giving her a confused look.

"Nothing. Okay let's just go," she said with a half smile.

…

Jackson got dressed and prepared dinner for him and Harriet. She was playing in her playroom when he heard his phone going off. When he looked down, he saw it was April.

"Hi, how are you? How is your time away?" He said.

"Everything is going okay. It's like I never left. Can I talk to my little ladybug?"

Harriet came running at the sound of her father calling her name. She got excited when she saw her mother's face on the screen.

"Hi mama," she said as she looked at April.

"Hi ladybug. Mama misses you. I will see you soon okay."

Harriet grabbed the phone and kissed the screen. "I love you mama."

"I love you too ladybug. Be good for Daddy and Maggie."

"Bye mama she said as she ran off to her playroom."

April said goodbye and made plans to meet with Jackson and Maggie when she got back into town.

…

When they got to the restaurant, Meredith noticed that Maggie avoided the cheese platter and refused wine. She also noticed she was a bit on the pale side and was nibbling at her food. Maggie, "are you feeling okay. You don't look like yourself?"

"No Mere I am fine. I've been having stomach issues the last couple of days. I feel like things are getting better," she said as she continued to pick at her food while not making eye contact.

Amelia tried her best to focus the conversation off of Maggie but Meredith was determined to find out what was wrong with her. Meredith looked at Maggie and said, "you never say no to wine, you love cheese and you don't usually pick at your food like that. What's going on with you? Are things okay with you and Jackson? Is it April? What's going on with you Maggie?"

"Nothing Mere," she said as she turned away.

"Okay, Maggie you are not really good at it."

"Okay Meredith but you can't say a word…"

Before she could finish her statement, "let me guess she said, your pregnant?"

Maggie looked at Meredith with wide eyes, "how did you know?"

"Maggie, I've been pregnant before. I know the look and I know the feeling. Are you happy?"

"I am really pregnant," she said nervously.

"Are you happy about it?" Meredith asked again.

"Honestly, I really don't know how I feel. I am excited and I am nervous. I don't know what kind of mother I am going to be. I love kids, I am a great Aunt and I am a great babysitter but this is different, I am actually having a baby. It's amazing but I am scared. What if I mess it up?"

"Okay Maggie you are rambling. What are you not telling us?" Amelia asked with a look of concern.

"You know me too well. I don't want to be a baby mother. I always thought I would be married first. I never thought that I would be someone's baby's mother."

"Do you want to get married?" Amelia asked.

"I don't know, I know I don't want him to marry me because of the baby and marriage is a big deal. I don't know if I am ready for that just yet. Just like I don't know about the type of mom I am going to be. We have talked about it.I just don't know how he feels about it. Especially with the way things ended with April."

Amelia looked at Maggie and said, "Maggie you are nothing like April. Avery is obsessed with you. He would marry you tomorrow if he could. Not that you should but he loves you. The way he is with you, April wished she could have that with him. Maggie, he took his time with you."

Meredith chimed in, "yea I have to agree. He loves you and he is a good man. He is so in love with you. You can see it in his face every time he looks at you."

Maggie felt reassured by her sisters words. She also felt relief knowing that both her sisters knew about her pregnancy. She talked about her fears and both Meredith and Amelia listened and laughed at the same time. She told them about having to give up some cheeses, wine and having to give up coffee. They laughed at her and told her that there were some good things about being pregnant.

Meredith said," Jackson is going to be all over you, wanting to grant your every need. Let him. Let him help you and take care of you. Your hormones will be all over the place and that is not always a bad thing. It will be annoying to some but we will have to deal with it. You might get an increase in your sex drive too." Amelia said, "That is like the best part and you are 100 times more sensitive in lady town so when you have an orgasm it feels so amazing and more intense."

"How much more of a sex drive does she need," Meredith said sarcastically, "her and Jackson are all over each other."

Maggie rolled her eyes and said, "Whatever Meredith."

After dinner, Meredith and Amelia dropped Maggie off at home. She kissed her sisters goodbye and exited the car. Meredith rolled down the window and said, "you will be fine Maggie. We are here and so is Jackson."

...

Maggie walked into a quiet apartment. It was 12 am and she tried her best to keep it down. She locked up and made her way upstairs. When she walked into their room, Jackson was asleep. Not wanting to wake him, she quickly changed, brushed her teeth and washed the make up off her face. She climbed into bed and wrapped her arms around him.

"Hi babe, How was ladies night," he said softly.

"Babe, go back to sleep. I'll tell you all about it tomorrow."

"It's okay. I'm awake," he said, turning to face her.

"It was good. We went to that Italian restaurant you took me to for our first date. Babe they ordered the cheese platter and my favorite bottle of wine. I had such a hard." She then whispered under hear breath, "Meredith knows. When she saw I wasn't drinking and avoiding the fancy cheese she picked it up right away."

"I knew she would. She is very observant and notices things. I knew you would not be able to keep it from her. So what else did you ladies do?"

"It was ladies night Jackson, I will not be disclosing our secrets. One thing I will tell you is that I learned that this pregnancy can affect my sex drive in two ways. I can either lose all interest in sex or it can be heightened."

Jackson said "oh yea with a huge smile on his face." He pulled her into his chest and said, "how about we find out which one it is," as he placed a kiss on her lips."

…

April woke up the next day in her old room. She felt a sense of peace come over her as she laid in her bed. She thought about Harriet and she thought about getting her life back together. Her mother walked into her room and asked if she wanted breakfast before getting started on taking care of the animals on the farm. She got up and prayed, got ready and headed down for breakfast. After eating, she cleaned up and made her way to the barn to help her dad.

She walked over to the barn to find her dad brushing one of the horses. He told her that the horse was new and that he could be a bit aggressive.

"April be careful with this horse. We just got him and he is a bit on the aggressive side."

"Ok dad. You know I know what I am doing. Just because I am a surgeon now doesn't mean I forgot where I came from."

Her father handed her the brush. "I will be right back. I am going to go get some horse feed."

She continued to brush the horse. As she got toward the tail, the horse appeared irritated, He began to stand on his hind legs. April moved away and attempted to calm the horse down. Once the horse calmed down, she attempted to leave the stall. She had to walk around the horse to get to the exit. Before she knew it, she felt a hard kick to the chest. She fell back and hit her head. He father heard a loud noise and ran over to where she was. He found her lying on the ground. When he lifted her up, she had a huge gash on the back of her head and she wasn't responding. He pulled out his phone to call 911 and began CPR. It took awhile for the ambulance to come due to them being way out. By the time they got there, she had no pulse and was not breathing. She was DOA when she arrived at the hospital.

April's parents were distraught they knew they had to reach out to Jackson to let them know she had passed.

…

That morning , they woke up early and started preparing for the day. Maggie got Harriet ready while Jackson packed their lunches and made breakfast. While fixing her hair in the mirror, Jackson walked up behind her. Jackson looked like he saw a ghost. Maggie turned to face him.

He looked at her and said, "She's dead. April is dead."

"What Jackson, what did you just say?"

"April, she's dead. She died. She got kicked by one of the horses and hit her head. There was nothing they could do. She's dead."

Maggie walked toward him and told him to sit down. She sat next to him and wrapped her arms around him. He wasn't tearful but, he didn't cry, he didn't say anything. Maggie encouraged him to express his thoughts and feelings but he said nothing. He just held her.

Harriet came running into the room. As soon as he laid eyes on her, tears began to stream down his face. Maggie let go and he reached for Harriet, pulling her into his chest.

"Jackson, I'm going to call Bailey and tell her you won't be in today," she said grabbing her cell phone. He grabbed her and pulled her closer to him. His grip was tight and Harriet wrapped her arms around his neck. Maggie rubbed his back and allowed him to do what he needed to do in that moment.


	21. What now?

It was 2am when she heard the door open and shut. She could hear the stairs creaking as he made his way to their bedroom. He walked into the bathroom, took a shower and put on some pajamas. He climbed into bed and pulled her into his chest wrapping his arms around her; burying his face into her neck.

"Hi," she whispered. "How was your flight? How was the funeral?"

"It was okay he whispered. Very sad. She died doing what she loved and with the people she loved."

"How are you holding up? How is Harriet?"

"I'm fine, now that I am home with you. Harriet surprisingly did well. She got to see her grandparents and spent the day with them after the funeral. She is with my mom now. She wanted to keep her. I am going to pick her up before work. I missed you Babe. How are you, how are you feeling?"

"I missed you too. Nothing has changed since you called me from the airport to let me know you were on your way back. I am feeling great Jackson."

"So great that you can show me how much you missed me," he said placing a kiss on her shoulder.

"Jackson, you had a long flight aren't you tired?" she said turning to face him.

"Babe, I am never tired when it comes to you." He rolled onto his back pulling her with him. As she laid on his chest, he rubbed her back. "Babe, you make me so happy. I don't think you know how much has changed in my life, how much I've changed since you came into it."

"Really she said looking up at him."

"You make me want to be a better person. I love who I am with you. Yes, we have our fights and disagreements but in the end, all I see is us, growing together. I really love you…"

"What going on Jackson. Are you okay?"

"Maggie, I'm saying one day, I hope to make you my wife. I love you and I don't want you to be my girlfriend forever. Maggie…"

Softly she said, "Really Jackson. You see that for us?"

"You don't, Maggie?"

"I'm just not sure. I know that we have talked about it but I don't know how…"

"How what Maggie, how serious I am?"

"How much of it will be because you are trying to be responsible. You know Jackson, you married your ex-wife out of obligation, and she wasn't even pregnant but because you were such a good man, you are so amazing. I just don't want you to feel pressured."

"Maggie, this is the second time you said that you don't want me to marry you out of obligation. Do you not want to get married? Or is it me? How can I prove to you that I am all yours because I am truly and madly in love with you?"

"I know you are Jackson, there is nothing to prove."

"So what is it?"

"I guess I am a bit insecure and don't know if you are still going to want this once the baby comes. I don't know what kind of mother I will be and this was unplanned and I feel like I am going against my plan… but you know what forget it. I know that you love me and that is all that matters." She placed her head on his chest.

Jackson was speechless. He didn't know how or if he should respond. One thing he did know was, his girlfriend was afraid to go all in with him but why? His mood went from him being super excited to see her and missing her, to questioning if she was happy with him, the baby and secure in their relationship. Maggie moved off of him, he reached out to grab her and she pushed his hand away.

"Maggie, what is happening?"

"I have to use the bathroom Jackson. This baby is slowly taking over my body and it's only the size of a strawberry," she said as she stumbled to the bathroom. While in the bathroom, she wiped tears from her eyes. She stared into the mirror, her eyes filled with tears, "Why did I do that? Why is it so easy for me to run and self-sabotage?" She threw cold water on her face and wiped it with a towel and returned to the bedroom. She climbed back into bed, Jackson was asleep with his back turned away from her. She went to wrap her arms around him but decided not to… she turned to her side and went to sleep.

…

Jackson woke up to an empty bed. He laid there for a while contemplating if he should push her to talk about what she said about feeling insecure. Jackson walked downstairs and saw her standing on the balcony with a cup of tea in her hand. He went out to join her. He wrapped his arms around her from behind and said, "Babe, what are you doing out here?"

"I wanted to get some fresh air. I am not sure if I am hot or cold. My hormones are all over the place."

Jackson laughed as he held her, pulling her closer into his embrace, he said, "Babe, can we talk?"

She turned to face him, "sure, what's going on?"

"I try not to push you and usually give you a chance to come around and talk about things when you are ready. I really need to know what you meant when you said you were insecure. Do you not feel safe with me Maggie?" Jackson could feel her tensing up in his arms. She also turned her eyes away from him.

"Jackson, it's not that I don't feel safe. This wasn't planned at all so I have no control over what happens and it is scary. A lot of things are going to change. I know that I am going to change. It could be for the better or it can become really bad, I don't know. Are you going to be okay with that? These are the things that go through my mind non-stop Jackson. I really don't want you getting frustrated or annoyed with me and I can see that happening."

"Maggie, I am not sure what is going on. I feel like this is coming out of nowhere and honestly you are not making any sense. I am not going anywhere, I tell you this all the time. I would never walk away from you or our baby. I really don't know what I need to do at this point to prove it to you. I have told you and I've shown you. I can't continue to do this and when you act like this, and you make me feel like I am not enough."

"Jackson, I am not saying it's you. You have nothing to prove. I am just telling you how I feel and what I am expecting to happen. I am afraid of the unexpected so I have to be prepared. I just need to know that I, I mean we are going to be able to get through this chapter. I know every time we get deeper into this relationship and things get deeper I have the urge to run… the urges are there Jackson."

Jackson stood there and was speechless. He didn't know how to respond or what to say. He looked into her brown eyes and brushed her cheek with the back of his hand, he leaned over and kissed her cheek. He then went inside and headed upstairs.

Maggie stayed outside staring into the horizon. She knew what was bothering her and she knew what she wanted. She could be neurotic at times and she knew that with every step, Jackson has been there with her. She knew she needed to talk. She had to open up. This wasn't about him, it was more about her. The feelings that were taking over the overwhelming feelings that she wanted to take control of her. Was she ready to let go…

She walked back into the penthouse and went upstairs. Jackson had showered and was getting dressed. She walked up behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist and dug her face into the crack of his back. She didn't say a word. He placed his hands over hers and said softly, "I love you Maggie and I know this is scary for you. I don't want to be without you but I am not going to allow you to play with my heart. You need to figure out what you want. It's your turn now." He turned to face her. "I am going to go get Harriet from my mom's and then head to the hospital, I'll see you later." He placed a soft kiss on her lips and left before she could respond.

Maggie stood in the middle of the room and watched as he walked out the door. She was not surprised by his words… she was always at fault for all her break ups. They would fizzle and she never fought to keep them. This was different. She didn't want to break up with Jackson, she loved him. She knew what she had to do and she needed to do it soon…

…

Maggie decided to walk to the hospital that morning. It wasn't a far walk and it was a beautiful day. She stopped at her and Jackson's favorite coffee shop and picked up a tea for herself and coffee for Jackson. While in line, she heard a familiar voice call her name.

"Dr. Pierce, how are you doing?"

She turned to see Jonathan standing in the line. "I am fine. How are you?"

"I am doing great. Since that surgery, I feel like my heart is recharged, get it, recharged."

With a confused look on her face she responded, "What?!"

"Jackson, he told me about your research. You're working on rechargeable hearts. Ok forget it. That was dry huh."

"No, no, I'm just surprised you understand that's all."

"Well can I apologize for my actions the last time we saw each other. I apologized to Jackson when I saw him at the park. I just wanted to let you know that I get it, he is a great guy and he is very lucky to have you. If you two ever break up though, look for me," he said grabbing his coffee.

Maggie let out a giggle and said goodbye with a smirk on her face. She made her way out of the coffee shop. As she exited the shop a biker came out of nowhere knocking her off of her feet. She fell hard onto the ground spilling her tea and coffee all over herself. Jonathan seeing her fall to the ground rushed over to help her.

"Dr. Pierce are you okay?"

"Yea, I'm fine." As she went to get up, she felt pain. Her right thigh was red and she noticed blisters forming.

"Maggie that does not look good. Can I drive you to the hospital?"

"No I can walk."

"No you can't, let me take you to the hospital." He picked her up and carried to his car.

When they got to the hospital, Maggie had him pull into the ambulance bay. Jonathan got out and grabbed her and carried her into the ER and yelled, "Help". Bailey was in the Pit on a consult and heard Jonathan she also saw Maggie in his arm. She ran over, "Pierce, what happened?, as she had Jonathan place Maggie on a gurney.

Jonathan explained, "She was knocked over by a biker and spilled hot liquid all over her legs. She said she was fine but looking at her thigh, I thought it would be best to bring her to the hospital."

"You were right to bring her in sir."

"Jonathan. My name is Jonathan."

"Well Jonathan I will take it from here."

…

She was wheeled into trauma room two. Bailey began to examine her and as she looked at her legs, there were red areas but on her thing she had serious blisters.

"Pierce are you in any pain?"

"Yes," she responded.

"I am going to give you something to help. But first let me see what is going on. Can someone please page Dr. Avery?"

"No, please do not page him. I don't want him to know and I don't want him worrying if he doesn't need to. Please Dr. Bailey.

"Pierce, are you sure. How about Meredith or Amelia?"

"Please Chief no one. We are not in a good place and I don't want to have to explain this to him or my sisters. "

"Ok, Dr. Pierce. I won't page him. We have to get someone down here thought to look at these burns."

"Parker, go to the burn unit and ask Dr. Lee to please come down. Tell her the Chief needs her for a consult."

"Okay, Ma'am, Chief Bailey."

…

Parker ran through the burn unit looking for Dr. Lee. As he screamed out her name, Jackson could hear him and come out of his lab, "What's going on Parker? Why are running?"

"Oh, Dr. Avery!" He said surprisingly, "I am looking for Dr. Lee have you seen her?"

"Yea, she is running my service, so I could focus on my research?"

"Chief Bailey needs her? Emergency consult in the Pit."

"Well let me clean up and I'll do it."

"No, no, it's okay, Parker said suspiciously. "She specifically asked for Dr. Lee."

"What is going on Parker?"

As Parker continued trying to avoid Jackson's questions, Dr. Lee came walking up the hall. Parker ran over and told her she was being requested by the Chief. He updated her on the case as they both ran down the hall. Jackson watched with a confused look on his face. He went back into his lab and continued to work.

…

Maggie looked at Bailey with worry written all over her face. She was worried about the baby but was hesitant to tell Bailey. She was concerned about the baby and wanted to make sure everything was okay. She softly whispered, with some hesitation, "Can you please page Dr. Deluca?"

"Why do you need Deluca?"

"Not Deluca, Carina Deluca"

"Why Carina? Oh Pierce…"

Bailey paged Carina and continued to work on Maggie. "Maggie that is exciting, how far along are you?"

"I am 11 weeks. No one really knows. I really need you to keep this quiet. I really don't want to worry my sisters or Jackson unless I have too. Bailey promise me you won't say anything! Please."

"Don't worry, Maggie," as she took her hand, "I won't say a word to anyone."

Carina came down and was surprised to see that Maggie was her consult/patient. She did an ultrasound and confirmed that the baby was fine. She told Maggie she may experience some cramping and If they were to become severe with bleeding to come back to the ER. That worried Maggie. She asked Carina, "Am I going to lose the baby?"

"No, by the looks of the ultrasound and the baby's heart rate, everything is fine Dr. Pierce. I just have to tell you about other symptoms just in case. That way you know what to do."

Maggie was relieved to hear that the baby was fine but in the back of her mind, she was still worried. She told Dr. Deluca about the pain she felt from the burns and wanted to know if the baby would be okay with the medication and treatment. Maggie began to pull at her fingers. Dr. Deluca reassured her the baby would be fine and for her to not worry. Carina then gave her acetaminophen and ordered it every 4-6 hours if the pain continued in her thigh from the burns.

….

Jackson walked out of his lab and headed to the cafeteria to grab a bite to eat. On the way he swung by the OR board to see if Maggie was still in surgery. Even though they were in an awkward place, he wanted to see her, he needed to see her just to make sure she was okay. When he looked, her name was off the board and replaced by Dr. Ryan. He walked by her lab because she usually hide in there when she was trying to avoid or distract herself but she wasn't there either. He made his way to the cafeteria, hoping he would see her there but on his way there he saw a familiar face walking toward him.

"Jonathan, what are you doing here? Are you stalking my girlfriend?" Jackson said jokingly.

"No, but I brought her here."

"What do you mean you brought her here? Jackson looked down and noticed he had Maggie's bag. Why do you have her bag? Where is she?"

"Jackson, don't freak out man. Maggie had an accident. She was knocked over by a biker and spilled hot coffee and tea all over her legs and I was there. It looked really bad so I brought her here. I was just grabbing her stuff to bring to her so I could leave."

"Here give it to me, I'll take it."

"Thanks Jonathan," Jackson said as he ran down the hall. As he made his way through the halls to get to Maggie, he thought about her and the baby. A feeling of worry came over him because something had to be wrong for her not to page him, she would want him to be there. Then he thought about this morning. Their talk and how things were left between them. He grew frustrated and then sad…

…

The burn on Maggie's thigh was pretty severe. It was a second degree burn that required treatment right away. Dr. Lee examined her and treated the area and applied some antibiotics. She told Maggie to keep it clean and to apply the medication daily. It did not require a skin graft but because it was a 2nd degree burn it would take time to heal. She would experience some pain and itching but she would be fine.

Maggie thanked Dr. Lee for coming down and said, "You don't say a word of this to Dr. Avery. I want to be the one to tell him." Dr. Lee agreed and handed her the script.

When Jackson got to the Pit, he saw Parker and Dr. Lee standing by trauma room two. He looked over at them with a scowl on his face and started to walk over. They both quickly walked away avoiding him completely. He walked toward the door and overheard Bailey talking to Maggie.

"Pierce?"

"Yes Dr. Bailey."

"You are not working for the rest of the week. Go home. Dr. Ryan will cover your service until you get back."

"I can't go home, I have too much work to do. I also don't think I need to take the whole week off. It's just my thigh, not my hands. I can still work."

"Go home Pierce."

"I can't go home, I walked here."

"I'll take her home," she heard a voice say from the door. Maggie recognized the voice and was afraid to look up. She knew that he was not happy, he was more than upset. Chief Bailey, can I talk to Maggie alone."

Bailey turned around and said, "I wanted to page you and she told me not too. So don't even start. Talk to your girlfriend."

"Dr. Pierce, if I see you in this hospital before Monday, we will have some problems. Dr. Avery, I will ask Dr. Lee to cover your service for the rest of the day. Parker will bring you your discharge papers." She then left the room.

Maggie dug her face into her hand and then looked up when she realized he didn't say anything. She was waiting for him to say something, anything, but he didn't. He just had a look of disappointment on his face. He said softly, "I'm going to change and grab Harriet from daycare. By the time I get back you should be ready to leave." He turned and left the room.


	22. Not so Simple

"Where is Maggie," Meredith yelled as she ran through the Pit. "Can someone please tell me where I can find Dr. Pierce." Parker who was standing by the nurses station turned around in an attempt to avoid the question. Meredith walked up to him and said, "If you don't tell me where she is I will have you assigned to impacted bowels for a month..", before she could finish her statement, He said, "Dr. Grey, she is in trauma room two." Meredith looked at him and said "next time you know something and you don't tell me it won't be good" and walked away. As she made her way to Maggie, she heard Amelia call out, "Mere did you find her?"

"Yeah, she's in here." They walked into the room and saw Maggie on a gurney sitting up. She had bandages on her thigh and her hand was resting on her stomach.

"Maggie, what is wrong with you? You get hurt and you don't have me paged, What happened? What is wrong with you? Maggie talk to me…"

Maggie looked over at her sisters and said nervously, "I didn't page you because it wasn't a big deal. I didn't want you worrying about me."

"It wasn't a big deal," Meredith said with a look of frustration on her face.

"Mere calm down," Amelia said and she placed her hand on her shoulder.

"No, I am not going to calm down, my pregnant sister gets knocked over by a biker, get 2nd degree burns on her body, was rushed to the hospital and it's not a big deal, I don't think so. Her keeping this from me is not okay. As little or as big as it may seem. What would I have told Bailey, you know how attached your nephew is to you. Come on Maggie you're not an idiot. What is wrong with you? Next time anything happens you page me. I don't care what it is. If you end up in the ER you have me paged."

Meredith walked out for the room and came back in wiping her face. She walked over and hugged her sister. "Maggie you scared me. I can't lose anyone else."

Maggie sat silently trying to figure out what was happening. Meredith was usually calm, cool and collected, what was happening.

Amelia walked over and looked at the bandages on Maggie's legs. She noticed the scrapes and bruises on her knees and legs. She looked up at Maggie and said, "are you okay Maggie? How are you feeling? How is the baby? I was so worried about you."

"Amelia, I am fine. The baby is fine and I am so sorry I worried you guys. I didn't want you guys freaking out if you didn't need to. I'm alright trust me."

"Okay Amelia," said as she grabbed her hand.

"Well, did you at least have Jackson paged, was he here with you?"

"No she did not," he said aggressively as he entered the room. He had a scowl on his face looking in Maggie's direction.

Maggie covered her face to avoid the look from both her sisters and Jacskon.

"Maggie, I don't know what has gotten into you but this is not normal. Maggie what is going on with you? I would understand if it was only you, but you are pregnant, carrying our niece, his baby."

Jackson looked on and said nothing as Meredith tore into her again. He stared at her as tears streamed down her face. He knew she knew what she did was wrong but to keep it from her sisters too… that was not his Maggie.

Amelia wiped the tears from her eyes and said, "Maggie we love you. Just like you worry about us, we worry about you. Please don't feel like you are a burden or bothering us."

Meredith sat next to her and said, "I love you and the kids love you. We don't want anything to happen to you. Don't ever do this again."

Jackson looked at Meredith and Amelia and said, "I'm going to pull up the car to make it easier for her. I'll be right back". Placing Harriet on the bed next to Maggie.

Maggie, "are things okay with you and Jackson, usually he would tell us to leave you alone. Amelia said, looking at her."

"No they are not and I really don't want to talk about it."

"Maggie, whatever it is, fix it because you are not yourself," Meredith said.

"Meredith, I'm sorry!" Maggie said raising her voice. "I said it won't happen again. Back off"

"Don't take your frustration out on me Maggie because you have problems with your boyfriend. Figure it out!"

"Jackson walked and Meredith asked, so Jackson how did you find out?"

"I found out from Jonathan."

"Wait? Jonathan that sent her flowers, Jonathan?," Amelia said moving away from Maggie.

"Yes, Jonathan. If I didn't see him in the lobby, I wouldn't have known."

The look of disappointment returned.

"Oh you big mad," Amelia said looking over at Jackson.

"Not now Shephard! Maggie can we go now. I have to bring Harriet to my mom's and it's getting late."

She hugged both her sisters and Meredith whispered in her ear, "whatever it is fix it, make it work if you can't, you will not be alone." She pulled away and placed her hand on Maggie's cheek and said, "Remember you always have a home and the door is always open."

Meredith looked over at Jackson and He rolled his eyes and looked away. She walked over to him and said, "she is already having a hard time and she knows she messed up. You need to calm down."

"Not now Grey," He said as he reached over to grab Harriet off the bed.

"Maggie let's go or do you want to go with your sisters?"

Maggie turned to her sisters and said goodbye.

As Maggie tried to get off of the bed she tried not to express how much pain she felt. Her sisters could see on her face that she was having a hard time walking and Amelia took her hand and helped her get down. Jackson reached over and grabbed her. He handed Harriet to Amelia and they all walked to the car.

...

The car ride to his mother's house was quiet. Maggie sat in the front seat with her eyes closed. Jackson could see that she was in a lot of pain because she silently groaned. He also noticed the tears streaming down her face. He wanted so badly to say something but he didn't. He didn't want to get in an argument in front of Harriet.

When they pulled into the driveway at Catherine's house, Jackson grabbed Harriet and brought her into the house. Maggie stayed in the car. While in the car, she wiped the tears from her eyes and thought about how upset he was. She didn't want to fight, if anything, she wanted to tell him what she was feeling. Instead of things getting better it just seemed to be getting worse.

When he returned to the car, he asked, "Are you hungry? We can stop and pick something up on our way home or we can order something and have it delivered?"

She turned her head toward the passenger side window and said, "Whatever is easier for you?"

"That is not what I asked. Maybe I should break it down for you. Maggie. "Are you hungry yes or no?"

"Jackson stop it, I know what you meant. You know what I like to eat and I don't care if we stop or order in. You decide. I'm fine either way."

"I thought I knew, but it doesn't seem like I know much anymore."

Maggie turned and looked at him and then looked away. Jackson,"let's go home. My leg is hurting and I just want to lay down. I don't want to argue," she said softly.

Jackson pulled out for the driveway and there was silence the whole ride home.

When they got home, Jackson grabbed Maggie's stuff and helped her into their apartment. She asked him to help her upstairs so that she could lay down. When she got to their bedroom, Jackson went downstairs to order food for them. He wasn't sure what she wanted to eat so he ordered a couple of items he knew she liked.

Maggie changed out of the dress she was wearing and changed into one of Jackson's t-shirts. She lay on the bed and contemplated taking the medication that Carina had prescribed. She was in so much pain but didn't want to hurt the baby. She held the bottle in her hand and just stared. She didn't even notice when Jackson came into the room. He stood by the door watching her. He smiled thinking about how cute she looked in his t-shirt. The way she placed the collar over her nose as to take in his smell. He knew they were in a bad place but she needed him and he was going to try his best to be there even if she was being difficult and stubborn. He asked "Maggie, do you need some water to take your medication?" with a concerned look on his face.

"No, I don't. I am not sure I am going to take it. I don't want to take anything that will affect the baby."

"If you are in pain, you should take it," he said appearing annoyed.

"I'm fine Jackson. I don't need it. I am just gonna try and get some rest."

Well call me if you need anything, he turned and went downstairs.

When the food arrived, Jackson put it on a plate and brought it upstairs to her. She was asleep. Her hair was all over her face. He moved some of the curls away from her face and placed a kiss on her cheek. He stared at her and couldn't help but smile. He was so thankful that she was okay and that the baby was okay. He was still upset with her and he still loved her. Not wanting to wake her, he went back downstairs and planned to check on her later.

A couple of hours went by and Jackson went upstairs to check on her. She was still asleep. He didn't want to wake her but he wanted her to eat something. He climbed into the bed and laid next to her. "Maggie, Maggie, you need to wake up and eat something your pregnant and you haven't eaten all day."

"No, I don't want to get up. I'm so tired. Jackson please leave me alone."

Jackson got up and sat on the edge of the bed staring at her. He was frustrated and annoyed. He was trying his best to be there and she continued to push him away. He went into the bathroom and jumped in the shower. He changed into his pajamas and climbed into bed with next to her. He placed his hand over her stomach.

...

It was now 1am when she finally woke up. Jackson was lying next to her with his hand on her stomach. She looked over at him and was surprised that he was sleeping next to her. She knew that he was upset but not enough to not help her. Not wanting to wake him, she slowly moved his hand away from her stomach. She made her way to the bathroom and then downstairs. She walked slowly as to not fall. She opened the fridge and looked for something to eat. Jackson had ordered all her favorite foods. She couldn't decide what to have, so she had a little bit of everything. As she cleaned up her mess and prepared to go back upstairs, she heard his footsteps.

"Maggie, why didn't you wake me up."

"Because you were sleeping and I didn't want to bother you. Besides, I made it down here. It's not like I'm handicapped or something."

"You were told to rest and to stay off your feet."

"Jackson, I'm fine please don't treat me like a child. I got burned, it was taken care of. I'm fine and the baby is fine."

"Here's the thing Maggie. We are in a relationship. Not only are we in a relationship, we are having a baby. You are carrying my baby. You are fine now but you weren't when you decided that you were not going to have me paged or called. You decided on your own that I didn't need to know. Your boyfriend, the man who would do anything for you, father of your child. If something happened to you or the baby, what then? You don't like secrets but you kept one from me. The sad thing is, I would have held your hand, I would have supported you and made sure and our baby were okay. You didn't even give me a chance because you didn't want me there."

He turned around and placed his hands over his head and took a deep breath. He turned to face her again and said, "You make me sad. I love you so much and it hurts sometimes. All I want is for you to feel an ounce of what I feel for you. If you could feel what I am feeling right now you would understand. All I want is for you to be all in with me and every time I feel like you are there, you pull away. If you can't be all in with me, maybe we should break up." He then turned around and walked back upstairs.

Maggie stood speechlessness as she watched him walk away. She wanted to yell for him to stop but couldn't. He was right, it was wrong of her to shut him out. She is so used to being in control and handling things on her own that she never really took into consideration how her actions might affect him. She hated secrets but she kept this from him. She just didn't want to worry him but the one thing she asked him never to do, she did.

She made her way to the sofa and sat down. She knew she wanted to fix it and it was time that she opened up and expressed herself. It was time for her to lay it all out. To expose her truth to be vulnerable and open up. He was good for her. He was everything she could ever ask for. She wanted her big love and she found him. She need to run toward and not away from it and in order to do that she had to accept that she was head over heels in love with this man and needed to trust it, lean into it, her big love, her Jackson.

She got up and made her way toward the stairs. Jackson was sitting at the top of the second landing waiting. She was surprised because in the past, with her ex's after an argument like that, they were done. She was done. This time it was different. Walking away from him was not an option. He got up and made his way down to her. He picked her up and carried her upstairs. She placed her head on his shoulder and wrapped her arms around him. He dug his face into her hair breathing her in. He whispers softly, "Babe, you told me a long time ago that you weren't capable of running anymore, but I can see you running at any moment. Everything says that you're prepared to run, please don't run away. Please don't leave me. Please let me love you. Just trust me, have faith in me, I will always be there." He sat down on the bed with her in his arms. He help on tight but carefully as to not press on her thigh.

With her head on his shoulder, she said, "Jackson, I don't want to run anymore. You are truly it for me and it terrifies me. I've never been so scared of losing something in my entire life, then again nothing in my life has ever meant as much to me as you do. You accept everything about me. I love you so much and I just want to be with you and only you. I know I can be so stubborn and difficult sometimes and I know that I am a self-sabotager because I am always expecting the worst. When something is too good to be true it usually is but with you, it has been the complete opposite. Things just keep getting better and it is scary. This baby scares me because it really means that we will be attached to each other for life. I want that, I want to be with you for life. I don't want to be known as the mother of your child, I don't want to be your baby mama. I want to go all in but I want it to be a true commitment one that binds us together forever."

"What are you saying Maggie? Are you asking for us to get married?"

"I think I am Jackson. I am letting you know that I am all in so why don't we just take it to the next level."

He placed her on the bed and knelt down in front of her taking both of her hands and said, "Maggie, I love you. You're carrying our baby and I love how you are with Harriet. You are everything to me. You have given me everything that have ever wanted. You make me want to do better and be better. You challenge me and because of that I continue to excel in my career. I hear you and I want the same thing but not right now. Not like this."

Her eyes filled with tears as she looked into his eyes. She couldn't say anything. All she felt was rejection. She was embarrassed. This is what she was afraid of, this was the other shoe. She managed to push the love of her life away.

Jackson reached up and cradled her face in his hand. "Maggie, I love you. I am madly in love with you and nothing is going to change that. I still want to be with you" he said as he wiped the tears away. Maggie reached for his hand and pulled him in for a hug. He could feel the tears falling against his skin. He rubbed her back and reassured her that they were fine. "I know it was hard for you to open up and I want you to know that I hear you and I know you love me. Thank you for opening up and talking to me. Are you okay? You want me to go grab you some water?"

Maggie whispered softly, "no, I'm okay. As she wiped the tears away. I'm gonna just lie down and try to get some sleep."

He kissed her on the forehead and said, "I'm going to get it just in case." He got up and walked out of the room. When he got downstairs, he sat at the counter and thought about Maggie. How difficult it was for her to just open up and talk about her fears and how he scared her. She was willing to lean into his love and didn't want to run anymore. She was all in. A feeling of happiness and joy came over him. She wanted him as much as he wanted her. She professed her love and told him she was ready for the next step. That's all he wanted. He wanted her to be all in. He grabbed the water and went upstairs. When he entered the bedroom, she was in the bed with her eyes closed. He climbed into bed and pulled her into him arms. He dug his face into her curls and breathed her in...

(Thank you so much for your continued support. Please leave a review and let me know where you think I should go with this/ or just leave a review.)


	23. Assumptions

A couple of days had gone by and Maggie continued to struggle emotionally. She had opened up and Jackson rejected her. He told her that he wasn't ready to move to the next level. Her leg was healing and though she was due to return back to work in a couple of days, Dr. Lee recommended that she allow the wounds to heal completely. She was devastated when she found out she had to be out of work another week. Everything around her was falling apart. Her relationship was strained. She began to distance herself emotionally. She was physically there but she had shut down completely. Jackson treated her like nothing changed. He was still attentive and supportive to her needs. He would tell her he loved her but she had difficulty believing it. She was so confused and wondered what her next steps should be. When she felt like this, she worked. She would hide in her lab and think, process and problem solve. This time she couldn't. She was home, with him, nursing her burns. She was worried about how Dr. Ryan was treating her patients and running her department. The only positive thing she had going was the baby. Her 12 week appointment was coming up and she was excited about seeing the baby and hearing the heartbeat.

It was 1am and Maggie felt the urge to pee. She got up and made her way into the bathroom holding her stomach. She felt some cramping on her side but didn't think it was a big deal. Then she felt a really bad cramp in her back. She sat down on the bench in the bathroom silently groaned from the pain. As the pain intensified she hunched over and yelled out for Jackson. Jackson got out of bed startled and frantic, when he noticed heard her.

"Maggie, where are you?" she heard his voice coming toward the bathroom.

"Jackson, I'm in the bathroom." she said holding on to her stomach.

Jackson continued to call out for her. He walked into the bathroom but didn't see her. He turned around and headed downstairs. He looked panicked and she could see the fear in his eyes. She continued to feel the cramping as it traveled to her back and then to the front of her stomach. She reached down into her underwear and when she looked down at her hands, there was blood, a lot of blood. She was scared and continued to cry out for Jackson but he didn't come. He couldn't see or hear her. Maggie got up and made her way to the hallway crying out for him. When she could not find him she went downstairs, he wasn't there either. Where did he go? She thought as she held onto her stomach. She was in pain and she knew from all the blood she was losing the baby, she was having a miscarriage. She walked into the downstairs bathroom and looked down again, she was covered in blood. She dropped to the floor and began to sob.

As she lay on the cold floor, she heard a voice say, "Maggie, Maggie, are you okay. Maggie wake up you're dreaming."

Maggie woke up panicked and grabbed her stomach. She was in tears and not making any sense.

"I thought I lost the baby, there was a lot of blood, and she pulled the covers back and looked in between her legs. I was calling for you and you didn't come. You just left Jackson. I was yelling and screaming."

"Jackson, we lost the baby, we lost the baby," she said sobbing in his arms.

"Babe, calm down. You are okay. The baby is fine. It was just a dream." Jackson grabbed her and pulled her into his chest. He could feel her heart beating out of her chest and her breathing was shallow. He rubbed her back as she continued to cry. "Babe, you are okay. It's okay," he said as he rubbed her back. He then cradled her face and said, "I'm here babe. You are okay. It was a bad dream," he said and he continued to console her.

Maggie was able to calm down after a few minutes. She explained her dream to him and he had a look of concern on his face. He said, "You and the baby are fine. I am not going anywhere Maggie. I am going to be here for you and the baby." He gave her a hug and asked if she wanted some water. She whispered, "yes please." He let go of her and went to the kitchen. When he walked back into the bedroom, she had her hand over her stomach as she lay on her back. The tears continued to stream down her face. He got back into bed and wrapped his arms around her. He could still feel her shaking and the tears continued to stream down her face. He whispered, "Babe it was just a dream. You're okay."

Maggie laid awake and her mind was racing. She couldn't sleep and she was afraid to close her eyes. She laid there in fear thinking of things she could do to keep her awake. Then she got lost in her thoughts. Interpreting and overthinking what the dream meant. She feared that it was her subconscious telling her she was going to be alone if she didn't prepare. She needed to have a plan. She didn't want to get stuck accepting something she did not agree with. She to come up with an alternative plan and she had to start working on it now while in early pregnancy. When he fell back asleep, Maggie got up and made her way downstairs. She grabbed her computer and started researching her options.

It was 5am when she realized that she was up all night. She didn't want Jackson to wake up wondering where she was so she climbed back into bed. Jackson reached for her and wrapped his arms around her. She turned to face him and just stared at him. She traced his lips with her fingers and then placed a kiss on his neck and then his lips. He appeared so relaxed and so peaceful. She loved him so much, enough to want to marry him and spend the rest of her life with him. She had never felt this way about anyone before, so she knew that this was real, he was it for her. As she laid in his arms she thought about their future, what it would be like when the baby came. Would she be a good mom, is she still going to be able to balance motherhood and her career? Would they still be together. Then her thoughts went to the conversation they had the other night. She had poured out her feelings and she even went as far as asking him for more of a commitment and he rejected her. Tears began to stream down her face again. The other shoe dropped and she was wondering if they were on the same page. Did she want to stay knowing he didn't want a deeper commitment? Was she okay just being the mother of his child? She rolled over and cried silently until she fell back asleep.

...

The next couple of days were a blur for her. Jackson had returned back to the hospital and she was still healing and resting from her injury. She couldn't wait to get back to work. Things at home with Jackson were a bit strained but she didn't want to have to deal with her feelings. She was so confused. Instead of talking about it with him, she held it in and went with the motions. She had come up with a plan and had a couple of appointments set up. She wanted to make sure that she was prepared.

It was the day of her 12 week appointment. She was excited about seeing the baby and being able to hear the heartbeat. It was the one thing she was sure about. As she prepared for her appointment, Jackson came into the room and watched her from the door. Maggie was in her underwear and bra standing in front of the mirror rubbing her stomach. He walked up behind her and placed his hand on her stomach. He whispered into her ear, "you are so beautiful." He kissed her on her neck and then her shoulder. He turned her around and went to kiss her lips. Before the kiss landed, she moved away and said, "no I'm not I am getting so big." Surprised by her response, he grabbed her shoulders and said, "Maggie you are beautiful. You are not getting big." She managed to move away and sat down on the bed and said, "Can you please look at this and tell me if it is healing. I really don't want a scar." Jackson walked over and removed the bandage from her thigh.

"It's healing just fine babe. He leaned in to kiss her but she got up quickly saying, "we should hurry, we are going to be late."

"Babe, are you okay? What's going on?" he said following her into the bathroom.

"What do you mean?" she said turning to face him.

"Every time I go to kiss you or touch you, you move away. What's going on?"

"Nothing, I am just not feeling beautiful today."

He walked up behind her and placed his arms around her waist. "Babe, you are beautiful. You are not getting big. You are perfect. You can't even tell you are carrying a baby in there." he said as he buried his face into her hair.

"No, I'm not," she said moving away from him, "to you but not to me." She walked into the closet and came out in a burnt orange wrap dress. She looked in the mirror and said, "this will due I guess." Looking at him through the mirror, "Are you ready to go?"

Jackson could feel something was up but he didn't want to push it. He could feel her becoming more distant and though she was there she wasn't. He walked toward her and said, "Yes I'm ready. Are you excited?"

"Yeah I am. I get to see the little strawberry and hear the heartbeat."

"I think it's bigger than a strawberry now babe, I would say it is probably the size of a plum," he said checking The Bump app on his phone.

"Jackson you downloaded an app?" she said squinting her eyes.

"Of course I did, I'm tracking everything," he said as he grabbed her hand and placed a kiss on the palm.

Maggie smiled and said, "You are so cute," scrunching her face as she looked up at him.

Jackson leaned over and kissed her. The kiss was cold. He could feel it. Usually she would place her hands on his cheeks, but not this time. She kissed him back but there was something missing. What happen he thought as she walked ahead of him to the car. A couple of days ago she professed her love to me and wanted a deeper commitment and now she was being distant. Why? What changed? He thought.

When they got to the car, Jackson opened the door for her to allow her into the passenger seat. Before she could get in he grabbed her and kissed her again, this time, with tongue. Maggie pulled away and said, "Jackson what has gotten into you this morning?"

"Nothing, I just wanted to kiss you. I miss you!" he said with one hand on her cheek and gazing into her eyes.

"What do you mean you miss me. I've been here. Haven't gone anywhere," she said as she sat down. Jackson shook his head and whispered, "doesn't seem like it," and closed the door. When he got into the car, she continued to tease him about the app as they drove to the appointment.

After checking into the office, they were handed information about genetic testing. As Maggie looked through the forms, Jackson thought about how he wanted to tell Maggie he wanted it done. He remembered how difficult it was with April and he did not want to have to experience that again. When they were called by the nurse, they walked into the exam room together. The doctor came in and had her lay back onto the examining table. A quick ultrasound was done and they were able to hear the baby's heartbeat. The doctor confirmed that the baby was doing great and growing according to gestation. When the exam was done, the Dr. escorted them to her office. She discussed what to expect at 12 weeks of pregnancy as well as genetic testing. Jackson held Maggie's hand and as the discussion continued, she could feel his grip getting tighter.

"So would you like to have genetic testing done," the doctor asked looking at them.

Without hesitation Maggie responded, "Yes." She then turned to Jackson and said, "right?" He smiled and nodded his head yes. She was given a slip for blood work and told to come back when she was 16 weeks. As they left the office, Jackson grabbed Maggie's hand and said, "thank you."

"Why are you thanking me?'

'Because the last time I went through this, I didn't know anything. We didn't do testing, April trusted God. I didn't know how to talk to you about it."

"Jackson," she said looking up at him." Do you know who I am? I want to know everything? No surprises."

"I guess the possibility of having another baby with osteogenesis imperfecta clouded my judgement."

Maggie grabbed his face and said, "I get it and I understand. I was there remember. I'm scared too and we will make the decision together once we know." She let go of his face, grabbed his hand and dragged him out of the office.

...

On the ride home, they decided they would have the testing done at the hospital. When they got there, Jackson had Carina do the blood draw and submit the test. Maggie asked her to call them as soon as the results came in. Carina looked at them and said, "as soon as they come in. They take a couple of days but I will definitely let you know." Jackson watched Maggie as she talked to Carina. She tugged at her fingers and was rambling. He took his hand and placed it on her back but she moved away as soon as she felt it. He reached out and grabbed her hand and held it tight. Maggie looked at him and did a half-smile and then turned toward Carina and continued to ask questions.

Before leaving the hospital, Maggie swung by her lab and grabbed a couple of her binders. It was a Wednesday and she was due back to work on Monday. She wanted to make sure to take the rest of her time at home preparing for her return back to work.

On the way home, Maggie looked through her research and talked about spending more time on her rechargeable hearts when she returned back to work. She was going to dedicate more time mastering new techniques and practicing. She was so excited to be returning back to work after being away for so long.

"Babe, when you go back to work on Monday, your going back to be on lite duty."

"I know Jackson. I am not going to be operating and as hard as that it, I am not going to let it affect my research. I will just focus on that until I can get back in the OR."

He looked at her and said,"I just worry you are going to hide in your research lab and over extended yourself."

"You are acting like I am paralyzed or something. I have 2nd degree burns on my legs that are practically healed. My hands are fine. I have no more pain and I am ready. I am excited to get back to work and back to my research. So be excited for me."

"Babe, I'm sorry," he said softly as he leaned over and kissed her forehead. "I'm just worried you will overdue it. Promise me that you won't."

"Jackson, you have nothing to worry about, I promise I will pace myself."

...

They walked into the penthouse and she was so happy to get to her research but first she wanted to get comfortable. Jackson grabbed a beer from the fridge and sat on the sofa turning on the game. She came back down with her laptop and was wearing one of Jackson's t-shirt and her curls were loose. He looked over and said, "You look comfy, come sit next to me beautiful," moving over to make room for her.

"Give me a second she said as she sat at the dining room table looking intently at something on the screen.

"What are you looking at", he said. When she didn't respond he got up and walked toward her saying. "Ok you have been acting weird all day, what is going on?"

She didn't budge, her eyes remained on the laptop screen. Wanting to know what was keeping her attention he walked over to see. Maggie was researching osteogenesis imperfecta. When he saw this, he walked over and closed the laptop.

"Babe what are you doing? We didn't even get the test back yet."

"I know I guess I don't want any surprises. I know that I don't carry the gene because I had genetic testing done when I was 12 and there is a possibility that you do because It only requires one parent to carry it." When she said that, his whole mood shifted. "What are you saying Maggie?"

"I'm not saying anything Jackson. I know that Samuel was born with it and you don't know where the gene came from because you weren't tested."

"Are you saying if the baby has it, it will be my fault?"

"Jackson, we haven't even gotten the results yet but if so yes, it would be from you."

"I need some air," he said as he walked onto the balcony.

His mind was racing. Thoughts of Samuel, his death and how he could have possibly been the one to pass on the gene that could have taken his life. Maggie watched from the dining room as he paced back and forth on the balcony. She didn't want to bother him so she grabbed the laptop and went upstairs.

45 minutes had gone by and Jackson was now calm. When he walked back into the penthouse, he saw that she was no longer sitting at the table. He walked upstairs to their bedroom and could hear the shower running. He quickly undressed and walked into the bathroom. "Can I join you?" he asked as he entered the shower.

"I am just about done," she said as she rinsed off and grabbed her towel to get out.

"Why don't you stay and help me scrub my back?"

"Jackson," she said with her head down, "not right now, I am not in the mood and I have some research to do." He moved out of the way to allow her space to leave. He knew that this could happen with pregnancy but not to this level. She didn't want him touching her, kisses were cold, she didn't want to have sex and denied him any type of intimacy.

Maggie quickly got dressed and grabbed her laptop and went back downstairs. She opened it up and continued researching alternatives. She was able to find a couple of possibilities and made call to schedule appointments. She was hoping to find something soon to begin putting her plan in motion. She also needed to tell him what was happening but not tonight.

...

Later that night, he climbed into bed next to her. She was laying on her side of the bed, her curls covered her face and she was slowly drifting to sleep. She appeared comfortable, dressed in one of his t-shirts with undies. He was determined to hold her even if they didn't make love, he was going to hold her. As he laid next to her, he grabbed her and pulled her into the middle of the bed. He placed one of his hands in her shirt cupping one of her breasts and the other on her stomach.

"Jackon, she whispered, what are you doing?"

"I want you babe and I miss you."

Maggie turned to him and said, "why do you keep saying that? I am right here. I am laying in bed with you. She took his hand and placed on her face. See," she said

"I know babe, I just feels like you have been a little distant lately. Every time I go to touch you, you move away and I can't help but to wonder."

"Jackson, she said softly, I-," Before she could say anything, he placed a kiss on her lips. He started to caress her back as he leaned in and kissed her neck, causing her to let out a soft moan. "Can I just make love to you? Please? I miss your soft touch and your hands all over my body. I want to feel you Babe," making his way in between her legs. He began to kiss her all over. Placing kisses on her lips, neck and shoulders. She whispered, "yes, I want to feel you too." She wrapped her arms around his neck gently massaging it as she passionately kissed him. He moved away from her lips and made his way down her body placing kisses in between her breasts, her torso all the way down to her navel. When he got to her stomach he whispered, "Sorry baby" placing a soft kiss.

She giggled and ran her fingers through his hair, "Really Babe. You think the baby knows and can feel what we are doing?"

Jackson placed his finger over her lips, "we are not going to worry about that." He took one of her nippes into his mouth causing her to scream out, "Damn."

He knew exactly what to do to unravel her. He then continued his path down. He could feel her melting into the bed with each kiss. He slowly removed her undies and started kissing and nibbling in between her thighs. Maggie felt herself losing all control but her thoughts began to take over. She wanted this to happen so bad but what did it mean. She craved him so badly. His hand touching and grabbing at her ass and her breast. His lips against her skin and feeling him inside of her. Her thoughts were interrupted when she felt the flicker of his tongue against her clit. She let out a loud moan that brought a smile to his face. He missed this, he missed her. Her touch, her kiss, her body, her taste. Her hands in his curls as he took her to ecstasy with his tongue. He was in heaven when they made love. Feeling her warm body pressed against his as he entered her made him feel fulfilled emotionally and physically. She was his safe place.

After she released into his mouth she was under his spell. He asked, "How did that feel babe?" as he moved his way up to her lips. He kissed her passionately before entering her. They both screamed out, "Oh God," as soon as their bodies collided. He whispered into her ear, "I can stay like this with you forever," as he moved in and out keeping a steady pace. She turned and placed kisses all over his facing moaning softly. As his strokes intensified he could feel her nails against his back. She cried, "deeper baby, go deeper." Without hesitation, he raised her leg up and pounded into her. As there body's connected all she thought about was how much she loved him. She was in love with this man. She really loved him. Then she heard him say, "I love you Maggie, I love you so much," increasing his pace causing them both to reach climax. He moaned out her name as he released into her and then collapsed onto her chest.

Moving from in between her legs he pulled her into his embrace. He dug his face into her hair and held her. He whispered, "Babe, I love you." Maggie turned to face and said, "I love you too Jackson." As they lay holding each other, Jackson rubbed her stomach and kissed the nape of her neck. She leaned into his kiss but did not face him. She felt so safe in his arms. It was home. Tears began to stream down her face as she laid in his arms. He was it for her, but was she enough for him.? When they had sex they were on another level. There was no confusion or mixed messages. They were connected and on the same page. But emotionally, they weren't she thought because he didn't want the same things were going to eventually fall apart. He dug his face into her curls and tightened his grip around her. She surrendered into his embrace as they both drifted off to sleep.

...

The next morning Maggie woke up to an empty bed. She heard music playing downstairs and she could smell the sweet aroma of french toast and bacon. She got up and put on her robe and made her way downstairs where she found Jackson preparing breakfast. He had a huge grin on his face and when he laid eyes on her, he smiled and said, "You ruined my surprise."

"Sorry, I smelled food and I am carrying a little person who likes food and I wanted some," she said with a smile on her face.

She walked over to him and placed a kiss on his cheek. He looked down at her and wrapped his arms around her waist. "Your glow this morning is amazing. You look so beautiful," he said resting his forehead against hers.

"Why do you say stuff like that? You're making me blush," she said.

Burying his face into her neck he whispered, "It's my job and I can't help it. You are just so amazing," leaning to rub his nose against hers.

"Whatever," she said as she released her grip from around his waist. She grabbed a piece of bacon and her laptop and sat down at the dining room table.

"What are you working on babe?"

"Nothing, just organizing my schedule for next week and tying up some loose ends. Why?"

"Just making sure you're not researching genetic disorders. I really want us to just wait on the test results and not worry until we have too."

Looking at her computer she nodded and said, "okay."

When breakfast was ready Jackson brought her food over to the table. Maggie quickly closed the laptop and moved it to the side, to make room. He noticed but did not say anything. He sat next to her and they discussed their plans for the day.

Since he prepared breakfast, she cleared off the table and washed the dishes. Jackson said, "Hey why don't we do something today. We can do a day trip." She looked over at him and said, "to where?"

"I don't know. Let me see." Jackson grabbed her computer and open the screen. Jackson's face changed as soon as he laid eyes on the screen. Maggie who had her back turned to him could hear him let out a loud grunt. She turned to face him and immediately leaned up against the sink. His eyes were wide and he had a scowl on his face. She knew he saw and she didn't really know how to react.

"Maggie, you're looking for apartments? You're planning to move out? Why? Are you leaving me?"

Maggie was speechless. She could see and hear the pain and confusion in his face and in his voice. He got up and walked toward her. He appeared tearful and yet you could see he was angry. Her actions hurt him and instead of talking about it, she made plans to move out. She had convinced herself that since they were not on the same page, things would soon end.

He reached out to touch her but stepped away and said, "What's going on Maggie?"

Maggie walked toward him and said, "Well Jackson seems like we are not on the same page with this relationship. Your words keep replaying in my head and it hurts to know that your not willing to take the next step with me. That when it comes to this relationship, we are in two different places. I don't want to be in the same position as April when this baby comes. I want to be prepared. If we are not going to be together, I need to have a plan."

"Maggie what are you talking about?" He said placing his hands behind his head.

"Jackson, It wasn't until I moved to Seattle that I found out my parents stayed together for me. I'm not going to do that Jackson. Our baby will not grow up believing that we are in love, when things aren't as they seem. Jackson I'm not going to do that. So I'm looking for my own place. We can talk about Dr's appointments, visitation and come up with an arrangement once the baby comes."

"What are you talking about Maggie? I love you. We are in love."

With tears in her eyes, she said, "I'm in love with Jackson but you said you didn't want a deeper commitment with me?"

"When did I say that? He said shocked and wide eyed. "When did I say that Maggie?"

"The other night,' she said wiping the tears from her eyes. "Jackson, I love you. I meant what I said the other night and I truly believed it. I opened up to you and told you my innermost thoughts, my fears my vulnerabilities. I was open and exposed, terrified and you said…"

"Hold on Maggie"

"No Jackson you said-"

"Maggie stop it. Please let me talk, uhhh," he said, letting out a loud grunt and clenching his fist.

"Jackson-"

"Maggie, listen to me…"

Maggie looked at him and then made her way toward the door. Jackson stepped in front of her and placed his hand on her shoulders. "Maggie, we said that we would never leave if we ever got into an argument. We would stay until we worked it out."

"I know Jackson," she said, putting her head down. She then walked toward the sofa and sat down. "Jackson-"

"Maggie, this will never be an April situation. April and I were divorced and she needed help after a tough delivery. I stepped up as Harriet's father to make sure my child and the mother of my child would be okay. It was strictly platonic and she was going to move out once she was able to get back on her feet."

"How do you know that won't be us. We are not even married," looking into his eyes.

"Come on Maggie stop it!" he said loudly moving closer to her and placing his hands on hers. I love you. When I said I love you so much it hurts, it really hurts. I can't breathe when you are not with me. When I am away from you, I can't wait to see you and be near you. When I said not like this, not right now, I wasn't saying no. I want a deeper commitment. I want to marry you someday. The other night was an emotional night. We were fighting and I was upset. You make it so difficult to love you and you telling me all of that, opening up and letting me know what you wanted, that is all I wanted to hear. I need and want to know how you feel, even if you hate me or can't stand me. I want to know. Cradling her face with his hands he said, "trust and believe me when I say, you are going to be my wife. We are not going to be impulsive, we are not going to rush into this. We are going to do this right. I love you and I want to be with you and raise our baby together. Our baby, will know their parent's are truly and madly in love because I know you love me and I love you. So please stop all this craziness woman and act like it."

He pulled her into his chest and said, "now can you please mean what you say and say what you mean. I don't want to ever have this conversation again. I am not leaving and neither are you. No more running Maggie Pierce. We are in this for the long haul. We will fight, we will argue, we will get frustrated and annoyed with one another. It does not mean we are breaking up, it doesn't mean that things are over."

With her face in his chest she said, "Okay Jackson." wrapping her arms around his waist.

Maggie then heard her phone ringing. When she reached for it, she noticed it was the hospital callings.

"Hello, this is Dr. Pierce," she said nervously

"Hi, Dr. Pierce, it Dr. Deluca, girl Deluca. I just wanted to call you and let you know what the results of your blood test were."

Maggie looked over at Jackson and mouthed it, "Dr. Deluca with the results."

As Maggie talked to her, Jackson watched as she paced back and forth clenching her fist. "What she say Maggie?" he said with concern in his face. Maggie held her hand up signaling for him to hold on. After 5 minute, tears began to stream down Maggie's face. Jackson collapsed onto the sofa with his hands over his face, and whispered "not again." When he looked up, Maggie hung up and placed the phone on the counter. Jackson got up and wrapped his arms around her waist pulling her toward him.

"Babe, it's okay," he whispered as he rubbed her back. We will talk about it and do what we need to do. We will come up with a plan that is perfect for the both of us," wiping the tears from her eyes.

"Jackson- "she said placing her hands on his check in an attempt to calm him.

"Jackson, the baby is fine. The genetic test came back. There are no birth defects and there are no concerns with the baby at this time."

"So why were you crying babe?"

"I'm crying because I am happy. The baby is okay and I am just a mess. I convinced myself that nothing good ever last and look. I am growing a healthy baby and I found my big love."

Jackson pulled her into his embrace and kissed her forehead. "I love you Maggie. No more talk of you moving out and leaving me. I can live without you but I don't want to."

Maggie whispered, "I'm okay with that," placing a kiss on his lips.


End file.
